Man did not pay fine for possession and keeping of illegal wildlife, gets jailed instead

Lau Kin Wei Clement, 42, was fined $4,700 in court today for possession and keeping of illegal wildlife. As he failed to pay the fine, he will have to a face a jail term of 23 days.

The man had harboured seven illegal wildlife species which were confiscated in a raid, according to a news release by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

The illegal animals seized comprised of two Wagler’s pit viper, a Paradise tree snake, a Painted bronzeback snake, a common snapping turtle, an alligator snapping turtle as well as a giant black scorpion.

The wild animals seized by AVA are currently under the care of Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

For keeping illegal wildlife, which includes the endangered alligator snapping turtle, Lau could have faced a fine of up to $500,000 and/or two years imprisonment as well as the forfeiture of the wild animals.