Skip to main content
Home The New Paper
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team

Popular

  • COURT & CRIME
  • Food & Drink
Singapore

Man fined $13,400 over illegal tarantulas and iguanas

Man fined $13,400 over illegal tarantulas and iguanas
Wong Andy Wong See Keong was caught with two iguanas and 10 tarantulas. TNP FILE PHOTO
David Sun
Dec 29, 2020 06:00 am
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • 0 Engagements

A man who was caught with two iguanas and 10 tarantulas was fined $13,400 last week.

Wong Andy Wong See Keong, 35, pleaded guilty last Wednesday to three charges under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act and two charges under the Wild Animals and Birds Act.

Six similar charges were taken into consideration.

On the night of March 5, the Singaporean was caught with two tarantulas in separate containers in his car at Woodlands Checkpoint while entering Singapore.

Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) then informed the National Parks Board (NParks), which sent officers down to investigate.

When they arrived, Wong confessed he actually had three tarantulas, not two.

Retail consultant jailed for selling details of Singtel customers
Singapore

18 weeks' jail for retail consultant who sold Singtel customer details

Jan 27, 2021

Related Stories

Company director, consultant charged with cheating PA, IMDA of $77,000

Judge rebukes lawyer for blaming 13-year-old sex victim

Woman abused two maids, including pinching one of them

The officers then searched the car and were able to retrieve the third one.

Wong's home was also searched, and two iguanas and seven more tarantulas were found.

He admitted to owning the reptiles and the venomous spiders, knowing it was an offence to keep these animals here.

In all, his illegal pets were:

  • Two green iguanas
  • An Indian ornamental tarantula
  • A Chaco golden knee tarantula
  • A Togo starburst tarantula
  • A Mexican rustleg tarantula
  • Two Costa Rican tiger rump tarantulas
  • Four other tarantulas

Last Wednesday, NParks prosecutor Wendy Tan urged the court to give Wong a deterrent sentence.

She said it was difficult for ICA officers to detect illegal wildlife, as animals such as tarantulas are small and easily hidden. She added that Wong's actions undermined international protection for trade.

Wong told the court he was sorry and regretted his actions.

Ms Tan said NParks is seeking an additional $3,010 from the accused, as costs to upkeep the animals seized from him pending court proceedings.

District Judge Ong Luan Tze has issued a disposal order for the seized animals.

For each charge of importing a wild animal into Singapore, Wong could have been fined up to $1,000 for each animal.

For each charge of possessing an animal scheduled as an endangered species, 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

COURT & CRIME

David Sun

davidsun@sph.com.sg
Read articles by David Sun
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • Newslink -  Purchase this article for republication

Top Stories this Month

Let’s cancel Chinese New Year
Lifestyle

Let's cancel Chinese New Year

Jan 25, 2021
After one year of Covid in Singapore: Case 38
Singapore

A year on, recovered virus patient still can't taste or smell

Jan 22, 2021
Let’s cancel Chinese New Year
Lifestyle

Let's cancel Chinese New Year

Jan 25, 2021
Home
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contact TNP
  • About SPH
  • Privacy Statement
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Member Terms & Conditions
  • Website Terms & Conditions
SPH Digital News Copyright © 2021 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn No. 198402868E