Legal action taken against food importer for violating import regulations.
SINGAPORE: A company and its director have been penalized for unlawfully importing over 360kg of fresh fruits and vegetables from Malaysia, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced on Monday (Jul 25).
JQA, a food product importer, and its director, Tan Kar Jiun, were each fined S$5,000.
The incident occurred when a truck carrying produce destined for JQA was stopped by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at Woodlands Command on November 17, 2020. The case was subsequently forwarded to the SFA for further investigation.
Upon inspection, the SFA discovered 362.4kg of undeclared and under-declared fresh produce in the truck, leading to the seizure of the illegal consignments. Tan was fined for “failing to prevent the offence from being committed,” according to the SFA.
The agency emphasized that all food imports into Singapore must adhere to its regulations. Only licensed importers are permitted to bring in fruits and vegetables, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied by a valid import permit.
“Illegally imported vegetables come from unknown sources and may pose a food safety risk. Prolonged consumption of vegetables with excessive pesticide residues can lead to serious health issues,” the SFA cautioned.
Individuals found guilty of illegally importing fresh produce face fines of up to S$10,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both.
