Jun Hang F & B Pte Ltd, an importer of food products, was fined $6,500 by the Court today for illegally importing fresh vegetables for sale.
Its sole Director, Tan Hwee Meng, was also fined $5,000 for failing to prevent the offence from being committed.
2 On 17 November 2020, during a joint operation conducted by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), a truck carrying food produce consigned to Jun Hang F & B Pte Ltd was detained by ICA officers at Woodlands Command.
The case was then referred to SFA for follow-up investigation.
3 SFA’s investigations found that the company illegally imported approximately 440.7kg of undeclared and under-declared fresh fruits and vegetables and 184.5kg of under-declared processed vegetables in the consignments imported from Malaysia.
All the illegal consignments were seized.
4 In Singapore, food imports must meet SFA’s requirements.
Food can only be imported by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied with a valid import permit.
Illegally imported vegetables are of unknown sources and can pose a food safety risk (e.g. if unregulated or high level of pesticides are used). The long-term ingestion of excessive pesticide residues through the consumption of vegetables that have been subjected to pesticide abuse could lead to adverse health effects.
Importer Jun Hang F & B Pte Ltd was fined $6,500 by the Court today for illegally importing fresh vegetables for sale. …
Posted by Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Wednesday, November 3, 2021
5 Offenders who illegally import fresh fruits and vegetables shall be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.
6 Safeguarding Singapore’s borders remains top priority for ICA. Similar methods may also be used by terrorists to smuggle security items into Singapore.
ICA will continue to conduct security checks to detect and deter illegal importation attempts so as to keep Singapore safe.
SFA will continue to safeguard food safety through our integrate food safety system, which includes strict import regulations and enforcement, and work closely with border control agencies to deter illegal import across our borders.
Issued by SFA and ICA
3 November 2021
