Man jailed for importing stun gun from China, package spotted at SingPost

SINGAPORE: A man was jailed five days and fined S$3,000 on Tuesday (Nov 24) for importing a stun gun from China.

As he was unable to pay the fine, he will serve an additional five days' jail for his crime under the Arms and Explosives Act.

Sak Yong Meng, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of importing into Singapore a black stun gun that could temporarily incapacitate or injure a person. A second charge involving another stun gun was taken into consideration.

The court heard that Sak ordered a S$20 stun gun resembling a flashlight on online shopping platform Wish.com on Jan 19 this year.

The device was listed as a stun gun and a "3 in 1 self-defense electric shock portable LED flashlight laser tazer", and was to be shipped from China to Singapore.

He also ordered three other stun guns, two pepper sprays and a spring crowbar from the website.

On the morning of Jan 28, an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer on screening duty at Singapore Post Centre in Eunos discovered a suspicious parcel from China.

She was inspecting parcels using an X-ray machine when she spotted the stun gun that was to be delivered to Sak's registered address.

A police report was made and the gun seized and taken for testing. It was found to be capable of generating a spark and would inflict pain and shock if used on a person, and was prohibited under the Arms and Explosives Act.

Sak admitted he bought the stun gun for his personal collection, without the required licence. He also knew there were restrictions on doing so.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Angela Ang asked for a week's jail and a fine of S$3,000. Sak, who was unrepresented, said he had been unemployed for about three years and could not afford the fine.

He previously said he was a single parent and asked for time to make arrangements before going to jail. 

For importing the stun gun, Sak could have been jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.