Rise in animal smuggling cases at Singapore's borders in 2024

Over 240 animals also seized from 30 premises in last two years; cases involved peddling of exotic pets online

- Shabana Begum

Indian star tortoises, songbirds and an Asian arowana were among creatures seized in 42 cases of animal smuggling caught at Singapore's borders in 2024, the highest number of smuggling attempts in recent years.

Thirty-five smuggling cases were thwarted in 2023 and 34 in 2022. And between January and April 2025, eight cases were detected at the borders.

More than 240 animals were also seized from over 30 premises in Singapore in the last two years, said the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a statement on May 27.

These cases involved people who peddled exotic animals for sale through social media platforms.

These updates were provided amid the Cites Global Youth Summit on May 27, held on Sentosa.

Convened under the auspices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), a multilateral treaty, the inaugural five-day summit drew more than 70 young people from around 50 countries. It serves to equip fledgling leaders with the skills and networks needed to tackle the illegal wildlife trade in their countries.

Singapore has been known to be a transit country for the illegal wildlife trade, including in animal parts such as pangolin scales.

This illicit trade here is also rife in the virtual world, particularly on social media, as the market for illegal wildlife and animal parts in Singapore has generally gone underground in the last decade.