ICA foils smuggling attempt of live leopard gecko at Changi Airfreight Centre

SINGAPORE: A live leopard gecko was uncovered in a smuggling attempt at Changi Airfreight Centre on Aug 3, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Tuesday (Sep 19) evening.

ICA said in a Facebook post that its officers had detected anomalies in the scanned images of a package and uncovered the animal upon further checks.

The leopard gecko is native to dry and semi-desert areas in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and northwest India and can be found in a variety of colours, patterns, and sizes.

According to the San Diego Zoo, the reptile is not a threatened or endangered species.

The case has been referred to the National Parks Board (NParks) for further investigations and the leopard gecko is under the care of NParks' Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation, ICA said.

CNA has contacted NParks for more information.

ICA reminded the public that they should not bring in wildlife illegally, purchase wildlife or keep them as pets.

Illegal trade in wildlife threatens biodiversity and disrupts ecosystems around the world, and can also pose serious health risks, as it evades biosecurity and sanitary controls, ICA said.

The poor conditions and manner under which animals are smuggled could also cause them unnecessary suffering and even death, it added.

“As such, NParks works closely with border control agencies like ICA on precautionary measures such as strict import controls to prevent the introduction of exotic diseases into Singapore, safeguard the health and welfare of animals, and to tackle illegal wildlife trade.”

Under the Wildlife Act, offenders caught importing any wildlife without the Director-General’s approval could be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both.