Jamu, turtle eggs seized from ship in Singapore

Today Online 7 May 08;

A GROUP of suspected smugglers got egg on their faces over the weekend when officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Singapore Customs found undeclared sea turtle eggs (picture) and other contraband goods on board their ship.

The officers, who had boarded the cargo vessel MV Penguin Indoraya II at the Marina Wharf last Friday, unearthed suspected prohibited Indonesian traditional medicine (jamu), boxes of turtle eggs and 23,250 sticks of cigarettes, for which duty had not been paid, among declared goods.

They seized 11 cartons of undeclared assorted jamu and about 12,140 turtle eggs, which have been sent to the Health Sciences Authority and Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore respectively for further investigation.

Under the Endangered Species Act, any person who smuggles sea turtle eggs is liable, on conviction, to a maximum fine of up to $50,000 per scheduled species and/or a jail term of up to two years.

If the jamu is found to be adulterated with undeclared substances or drugs, this would constitute an offence under the medicines and/or poisons acts and anyone found guilty of such offences can be jailed up to two years and/or fined.

The total Customs duty and Goods and Services Tax on the cigarettes amounted to $10,340. If convicted, a first-time offender can be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of duty evaded.