S’porean man sentenced to 2 months’ jail for smuggling exotic animals in cereal box & biscuit tin

A 31-year-old Singaporean man, was sentenced to two months’ jail and fined S$9,600 on June 4, after pleading guilty for illegally importing 22 animals, including an endangered Argentine tegu and endangered poison dart frogs, into Singapore, reported Today.

The accused, Li Heyi Mitchell Edberg, is a co-owner of an exotic animals shop called ‘Exotics Hub’ in Johor Baru, Malaysia.

Caught with animals hidden in food packaging in his car

Li was found in possession of 22 live animals in a rental car at Woodlands Checkpoint on the morning of November 10, 2019. He was found in possession of the following live animals, which were not declared and he had no permits or licenses for: Two Leopard Geckos One Sugar Glider One Argentine Black and White Tegu Eighteen Poison frogs. The eighteen Poison frogs and the Argentine Black and White Tegu are endangered species and require a permit before they can be imported into Singapore.

He had stuffed the animals in food packaging under the guise of groceries, such as a Milo cereal box and a metal biscuit tin. The authorities also found an illegal pet California Kingsnake at Li’s residence, which he did not have a license for. One of Li’s customers was fined S$6,600 in April

According to official documents, it was reported that Li runs an animal related business called ‘Exotics Hub’ in Johor Bahru. He would take orders for exotic animals from customers in Singapore, collect the animals from suppliers in Malaysia and smuggle them into Singapore. One of Li’s customers, Wong Kai Kit Jonathan, had ordered five live Poison Dart frogs from Li and paid him to smuggle the frogs across the border.Wong was fined S$6,600 in April for abetting Li to import poison frogs into Singapore, reported Today.

According to Wendy Tan, prosecutor for NParks, one of the poison frogs died on the day they were discovered, while the other frog eventually died or had to be euthanised due to a fungal disease, reported Today.For each charge under the Endangered Species (Import and Export Act), Li could have been fined up to S$50,000 for each species, jailed for up to two years, or both.

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