Men from Batam allegedly sell curry puffs without licence in Tampines, flee after Stomper questions them
A woman who spotted two men allegedly selling curry puffs in Tampines said they fled after she asked whether they were operating legally.
Stomper Nur encountered the pair at Block 827A Tampines Street 81 on July 12 between 9am and 11am.
According to the Stomper, the men were pushing two trolleys loaded with curry puffs and appeared to be selling them in the area.
She said she approached one of the men to ask if the curry puffs were halal.
“He said yes, but did not show me any halal certification,” she told Stomp.
“He said the curry puffs were made by a Malay (person).”
The Stomper also claimed the two men were smoking what she believed were illegal cigarettes while seated at a common area for the elderly.
She further alleged that upon feeling scrutinised by her questioning, the two men fled in different directions, with one of them discarding the curry puffs into a rubbish bin before running off.
Nur claimed one of the men told her they hailed from Tiban, a district in Batam, Indonesia.
Concerned that food was being sold without a licence, she shared the incident with Stomp and also reported it to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
In an email screenshot seen by Stomp, Nur was advised by SFA that it had been conducting surveillance at areas where such curry puff sales were reported.
She was also told that SFA was working closely with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on the matter.
Photos shared by Nur show a man in a maroon shirt with a trolley that had a yellow cardboard box on it. In one image, a passer-by can be seen looking into the box.
Nur said that she did not manage to take photos of the second man allegedly involved in the illegal hawking.
SFA investigations underway
In response to Stomp’s queries, the SFA said on July 28 that it is investigating the matter and enforcement action will be taken against those caught selling food products in public spaces without a valid licence.
Under the Environmental Public Health Act, hawking goods or food products in public spaces without an SFA-issued licence is not permitted.
The agency said unregulated street hawking can pose risks to public health, as such food may not meet Singapore’s food safety requirements and hawkers may not be traceable if consumers encounter problems with their purchases.
SFA advised members of the public not to patronise suspected illegal hawkers and to report such activities through its online feedback form for investigation.
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