SINGAPORE - A woman was fined $12,000 on Wednesday for illegally importing assorted meat products and processed food from China.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Wednesday that Gu Nan’s crime was detected on Feb 7, 2022 when ICA officers at Ports Command in Pasir Panjang found anomalies in scanned images of a consignment carrying assorted cargoes.

The officers then uncovered food products that were imported without a valid permit.

The case was then referred to SFA, which found and seized more than 200kg of assorted meat products and processed food illegally imported from China.

Illegally imported food products of unknown sources can pose a food safety risk, said SFA.

In Singapore, food can be imported only by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and have a valid import permit.

Meat and its products can be imported only from accredited sources in approved countries that comply with SFA’s food safety standards and requirements.

Offenders who import meat products illegally from unapproved sources or are found to possess illegally imported meat products that are meant for sale can be fined up to $50,000, jailed up to two years, or both.

Repeat offenders can be fined a maximum of $100,000, imprisoned for up to three years, or both.

When convicted, those who illegally import processed food can be fined not exceeding $1,000 and repeat offenders can be fined up to $2,000.