Tan found a buyer in co-accused Lee Kian Han, a 35-year-old Singaporean man, and agreed to sell him the pangolin for S$1,400.
They met at about 2am on Jul 4, 2023 at a Housing Board block in Jurong West where Lee paid him for the animal via PayNow.
That same day, the National Parks Board (NParks) seized the pangolin from Lee after detecting the advertisement on Telegram.
An NParks officer met Lee in a covert operation, after offering to buy the pangolin for S$1,600.
Tan was arrested at his home and the pangolin was taken to a centre for wildlife rehabilitation and examination.
An NParks vet identified it as a Sunda pangolin, a protected species. An animal health assessment report found the creature to be pregnant and “very hungry” on admission.
The prosecutor said NParks has been unable to recover the sum of S$1,400 from Tan to date. At the last hearing, the prosecution had indicated that they would ask for a fine of S$8,000 to S$10,000.
Tan’s lawyer, Mr Kalidass Murugaiyan, highlighted that his client has been donating to Wildlife Conservation Society monthly.
The judge then asked why doesn’t Tan make a donation of S$1,400 to cover the sum. The defence lawyer said he would liaise with the prosecutor on this.
The judge called for reports assessing Tan’s suitability for probation and community service and adjourned the case to Feb 29 for sentencing.
For selling a protected wildlife species, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$50,000, or both.
CNA has contacted MINDEF for more information.