SINGAPORE – A man was fined $8,000 on May 6 for importing meat products from Thailand without a valid import permit.

Lim Guozhi Benjamin, the sole proprietor of Polymath Wholesales Trading, illegally imported about 6.3 tonnes of meat products into Singapore, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on May 6.

During a check on a refrigerated container vehicle along Mandai Link Road in May 2023, SFA officers found and seized the goods, which included chicken, duck and mutton products.

The products were imported by Polymath Wholesales Trading without a valid import permit.

Food that is imported into Singapore must meet SFA’s requirements, the agency said.

Illegally imported food products of unknown sources can pose a food safety risk, it added.

Food can be imported only by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied by a valid import permit.

Meat and its products can be imported only from accredited sources in approved countries that comply with Singapore’s food safety requirements, the agency said.

Those who import meat products illegally may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to a year, or both.

Repeat offenders may be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.