Company fined for illegally importing 360kg of fresh fruits and vegetables from Malaysia

A company and its director have been fined for illegally importing more than 360kg of fresh fruits and vegetables from Malaysia, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Monday (Jul 25).

JQA, an importer of food products, and company director Tan Kar Jiun were fined S$5,000 each.

A truck carrying food produce consigned to JQA was detained by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at Woodlands Command on Nov 17, 2020. The case was then referred to SFA.

The agency found 362.4kg of undeclared and under-declared fresh fruits and vegetables in the truck and seized the illegal consignments.

Tan was fined for “failing to prevent the offence from being committed”, said SFA.

SFA said food imports in Singapore must meet its 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. 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,” SFA added.

Those found guilty of illegally importing fresh fruits and vegetables face a fine of up to S$10,000, up to three years’ jail, or both.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES