Man fined for trying to sell illegal crocodile
A man was fined yesterday for trying to sell a 72cm crocodile he imported illegally, and for keeping three hedgehogs.
Tan Chee Wei, 23, was fined $9,600 after pleading guilty to one count each of attempting to sell an illegally imported scheduled species and keeping wild animals without a licence.
Two similar charges were taken into consideration.
On Dec 21 last year, the National Parks Board (NParks) received information from the Animal Concerns, Research and Education Society (Acres) that Tan was selling the crocodile for $1,000, and asking for a deposit of $500.
The crocodile was a false gharial, a freshwater crocodile native to Malaysia that has a conservation status of vulnerable due to its decreasing population.
Tan imported it illegally from a supplier in Johor Baru.
An Acres undercover volunteer, on the pretext of wanting to buy the animal, paid the deposit by transferring the money to Tan's bank account.
On Dec 23, at about 6pm, an NParks officer arrested Tan at the void deck of Block 811, Jurong West Street 81, just as he was about to deliver the animal, which was kept in a plastic bag.
Tan then admitted he started a Telegram group in September last year relating to the keeping of exotic pets, and had himself posted in the group to sell animals including mice, frogs, hedgehogs, geckos and the crocodile.
On Dec 27, NParks officers went to Tan's home at Jurong West Street 81 and found three hedgehogs in the living room kept in plastic containers, which Tan had been keeping as pets for about a year.
Yesterday, the court was told that the crocodile is now with the Singapore Zoo.
Tan has also paid $4,000 to the Singapore Zoo and Acres as compensation, on top of the fine.
For attempting to sell the crocodile, he could have been fined up to $50,000, or jailed for up to two years, or both.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
