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Sunday October 10, 2010
Wild animals seized in raid
KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty-four wildlife species kept in cages and aquariums in a store and bedroom were seized in a raid at Pandan Perdana near here. Among the confiscated wildlife were leopard cats, black giant squirrels, white-rump shamas, lesser sulphur-crested cockatoos, red-shouldered macaws, green iguanas and albino ball pythons.
In a statement here, the National Parks and Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) said the seizures were made at a business premises on Wednesday. It said officials from the department’s wildlife crime unit also nabbed a couple. The two have been remanded until Tuesday.
The seized animals, birds and reptiles are categorised as totally protected wildlife species and protected wildlife species under the Protection of Wildlife Act and the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008. Their street value is said to be around RM90,000. The remanded couple, if found guilty, are liable to be fined up to RM3,000 or imprisonment of up to three years under the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972.
They could also be fined between RM100,000 and RM1mil for each animal or jailed up to seven years under the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008. The seizure of the animals comes just two days after wildlife kept by international smuggler Anson Wong were seized from his farm in Teluk Bahang in Penang.
