Truck at Woodlands Checkpoint found carrying 216kg of illegally imported fruits and vegetables

A truck carrying food produce consigned to Qing Ye Trading was stopped at the Woodlands Checkpoint on Aug 25 last year.

The vehicles was referred for checks during a joint operation conducted by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). It was then referred to SFA for follow-up inspection.

SFA found that the company illegally imported approximately 216kg of undeclared and under-declared fresh fruits and vegetables. All illegal consignments were seized.

Qing Ye Trading was fined $5,000 by the court on Wednesday (May 31) for illegally importing fresh produce for sale.

Its director, Kang Soon Poh, was also fined $5,000 for failing to prevent the offence from being committed.

In Singapore, food imports must meet SFA's requirements. Fruits and vegetables can only be imported by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied with a valid import permit.

Illegally imported vegetables are of unknown sources and can pose a food safety risk, such as if unregulated or high level of pesticides are used.

The long-term ingestion of excessive pesticide residues through the consumption of vegetables that have been subjected to pesticide abuse could lead to adverse health effects.

Offenders who illegally import fresh fruits and vegetables shall be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.

This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.