Smuggled puppies from Malaysia were sold online after being kept in poor conditions.

Singapore has imposed its first jail sentence for illegally keeping animals in captivity for sale at an unlicensed premises, in a case involving smuggled puppies, online sales, and animal welfare violations.

Woman Becomes First Jailed for Offence
Ng Siew Teng, 28, became the first person in Singapore to receive a jail sentence for illegally keeping animals in captivity for sale at an unlicensed premises. She was sentenced on August 5, 2026, to 19 weeks and three days in jail and a S$5,000 fine after pleading guilty to five charges under the Animals and Birds Act. Her husband, Callurn Lim Yuan Jin, 34, received the same 19-week-and-three-day jail term and S$5,000 fine for five animal-related charges on September 11. His overall sentence was substantially longer because it also covered unrelated offenses

Couple Sold 21 Puppies on Instagram
According to NParks and court proceedings, Ng and Lim were involved in illegally importing puppies from Malaysia before keeping them at their home and advertising them for sale on Instagram. Between October and December 2023, they sold 21 puppies and made around S$21,000 in profits. Mothership reported that prospective buyers were also shown the puppies at the couple’s void deck.

Five Puppies Found at Woodlands Checkpoint
The operation was uncovered on December 27, 2023, when Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers conducted a random inspection of accomplice Bryan Peh Jia Hao’s vehicle at Woodlands Checkpoint. Officers discovered five two-month-old Pomeranian puppies in the boot. NParks said the animals had been transported in cramped and poorly ventilated conditions, and all five later tested positive for canine parvovirus, a highly contagious disease that can cause severe illness and death in dogs.

Accomplice Helped Smuggle Puppies From Malaysia
Court proceedings showed that Lim approached Peh in October 2023 and offered him between S$250 and S$300 per puppy to smuggle the animals into Singapore. Peh agreed and completed several illegal importations for the couple before authorities detected the scheme. He was subsequently sentenced to 16 weeks in jail for his involvement.

Separate Case Sets Heaviest Sentence
In a separate illegal animal trade case, Sundra Pandian, 33, received the heaviest sentence to date specifically for keeping animals in captivity for sale at unlicensed premises: two weeks in jail. His total sentence was 24 weeks after he pleaded guilty to nine charges under the Animals and Birds Act. Authorities found that he had kept 13 smuggled animals at his home, with animals housed in cages and pet carriers stacked up to three levels high. One dog tested positive for canine parvovirus, while some of the animals required veterinary treatment.

For Singaporeans, the cases show the penalties that can follow the illegal import, confinement, and sale of animals, particularly when poor conditions expose them to suffering and disease. For Indonesians who buy or transport pets through Singapore, the reports also highlight Singapore’s enforcement against unauthorized animal imports and sales.

Sources: Straits Times (2026) , Mothership (2026)

Keywords: Singapore Animal Smuggling, Illegal Pet Sales, Smuggled Puppies Singapore, Ng Siew Teng, NParks Singapore, Animal Welfare Singapore