KUALA LUMPUR, SEPT 18 – The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) arrested a foreign national suspected of smuggling wildlife worth RM1.8 million, thus busting the wildlife smuggling syndicate from a South Asian country, yesterday.
Acting Director of the Department of Internal Security and Public Order (JKDNKA) Bukit Aman, Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat, said the arrest and further investigation of the suspect led to the seizure of 30 baby crocodiles and 14 tortoises. Indian Eyed Turtle.
“Based on information and intelligence, the suspect brought a controlled wildlife species from a country in South Asia using the air route and entered Malaysia through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
“These cases are rare and the confiscated species have a very high value on the black market.
The selling price for a baby crocodile is RM60,000 while the turtles are worth RM1,350 each,” he said in a statement today.
He said the arrested suspect was believed to be involved with a wildlife smuggling syndicate that is active internationally and that the seized wildlife was believed to be brought into the country as a transit before being transferred to another country.
Mohd Yusoff said the case was investigated under Section 68(1) and Section 69(1) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
Meanwhile, he said that between January 1 and yesterday, the Wildlife Crime Bureau (WCB)/Special Investigation Intelligence (PSK) launched 135 raids across the country and arrested 384 people for various offences.
“It involves the smuggling of non-customs goods, the leakage of controlled and subsidized goods as well as the smuggling of wildlife with a total value of more than RM420 million,” he said.
He said PDRM is committed to enforcing the law and carrying out operations to curb any smuggling activities that violate national laws. – Named
