SINGAPORE – An importer was fined $3,000 for bringing in fresh vegetables that did not conform to import permit requirements, the Singapore Food Agency said in a release on Wednesday (April 3).

Tang Khoong Poh, 69, the licensee of Heng Kee Trading and Food Supplier, was fined in court on Wednesday.

Officers from the then Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, which has been replaced by SFA, detected 580kg of under-declared fresh spring onions and green capsicums imported last July.

The two consignments of vegetables were imported from Malaysia by Heng Kee Trading and Food Supplier.

The illegal consignments were seized and destroyed, SFA said.

In its release, the agency said that illegally imported food products are from unknown sources and pose a food safety risk.

Food imports in Singapore must meet SFA’s requirements and food safety standards, and can only be brought in by licensed importers.

Every consignment must be declared and accompanied with a valid import permit, the agency added.

Those found guilty of illegally importing food can be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to three years, or both.

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