SINGAPORE – Because the Malaysian-registered trailer truck arrived at Tuas Checkpoint on March 23, 2023, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers directed the motive force to endure a routine car inspection.
They found 337 birds hidden within the compartments behind the motive force’s and passengers’ seats.
Truck driver Aizzuddin Hadi Mohd Ishak, 27, was arrested however as an alternative of taking the Malaysian into custody, Nationwide Parks Board (NParks) officers allowed him to drive into Singapore.
They had been utilizing him as bait, and inside hours, nabbed the mastermind and intermediary.
In response to a court docket judgment made accessible on April 6, eight plastic containers of reside birds had been discovered throughout the inspection at about 3.35am.
Whereas Hadi was probed, the mastermind of the operation, pet store proprietor Leow Seng Lee, 62, was getting suspicious.
Leow referred to as the intermediary within the smuggling operation, Ng Liang Huat, 60, a number of instances to verify whether or not the birds had arrived.
Ng mentioned the motive force had been delayed, and would arrive at round midday.
Leow instructed Ng that Hadi had most likely been arrested and warned him to maintain a lookout for NParks officers.
Ng mentioned he would nonetheless meet Hadi to gather the birds, not figuring out the motive force had been arrested.
NParks officers let Hadi drive to Tuas Hyperlink to fulfill Ng, who was ready there with $900 for Hadi. As soon as Hadi arrived, the officers swooped in and arrested Ng.
Ng admitted that Leow had ordered the birds and agreed to bait the latter into pondering the transaction was going as deliberate.
At round 3pm, Ng introduced 12 white-rumped shama to Leow’s pet store at Block 26 Teck Whye Lane. Leow was arrested when he obtained the birds.
On April 2, Leow was sentenced to 68 weeks’ jail after pleading responsible to a few expenses of participating in a conspiracy to smuggle birds into Singapore.
Ng and Hadi had been earlier sentenced to 72 weeks and 60 weeks in jail respectively.
