In April 2017, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority officers detected 148 cooked embryonated duck eggs, commonly known as ‘balut’ concealed in suitcases inside the boot and spare tyre compartment of a car, upon arrival at Tuas Checkpoint. The case was referred to AVA for investigation.
Today, Lea Soon Lieo @ Mohd Syukri Bin Sabri Lea, was fined $5,000 for illegally importing the eggs into Singapore. Another woman, Ramiscal Quenny Dela Cruz, was fined $2,500 for abetting the offence.
Smuggled food products are from unknown sources. Apart from food safety concerns, AVA has to remain vigilant to prevent diseases such as bird flu from being introduced into Singapore. While Singapore is free from bird flu, the disease is endemic in the region. Smuggled food products, which may not have undergone the necessary heat treatment to inactivate the virus, is a risk for public and animal health.