Man jailed 8 months for abetting illegal import of 121 live birds and animal cruelty
A man was jailed eight months on Wednesday (25 April) for abetting the illegal import of live birds and animal cruelty.
Sudrak Naum, 30, was convicted on charges of bringing in 44 Fischer’s Lovebirds and 77 other species of live birds without a permit. Fischer’s Lovebirds are a protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It is illegal to engage in the trade of endangered species without a permit.
Sudrak was caught on 26 February this year after Immigration & Checkpoints Authority officers found the 121 birds contained in 10 boxes in a Malaysian-registered tour bus he was driving. The birds were concealed in a compartment between the driver and front right tyre. The case was later referred to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) for investigations.
AVA said in a news release that the manner and poor conditions of transporting the birds caused them “unnecessary pain and suffering”. It added that eight birds were found dead upon arrival in Singapore and more died afterwards.
Another man who is said to have been asked to smuggle the birds into Singapore and was travelling Sudrak has fled Singapore and is at large.
For importing any bird or animal into Singapore without a license, Sudrak could have been jailed up to 12 months and/or fined a maximum $10,000. For importing an endangered species without a permit, he could have been jailed up to two years and/or fined a maximum $50,000. For animal cruelty, he could have been jailed up to 18 months and/or fined $15,000.
