Associated Press 4 Nov 08;
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian marine police say they have seized 10,000 endangered turtle eggs believed to be from the Philippines.
Muhammad Sallam Spawi, an officer in Sabah state on Borneo island, says police surprised four smugglers as they were unloading bags of eggs Sunday. But he says the men managed to flee in their boat.
Still, he said Tuesday the seizure was "the biggest ever" in Sabah.
He said the men were speaking Tagalog, which is spoken in the Philippines.
Abdul Karim Dakog, an officer with the state wildlife department, says the department hopes the eggs, from the endangered green and Hawksbill turtles, may still hatch in a conservation area.
Trade in turtle eggs is illegal in Malaysia but the eggs remain popular in local food markets. They cost about 80 cents each.
10,000 turtle eggs from Philippines seized
Daily Express 4 Nov 08;
Acting Sandakan Marine Police chief Acting Asst Supt Muhammad Sallam Spawi said this was the biggest seizure of turtle eggs in the municipality so far.
According to him, marine police personnel involved in Ops Tayang in the Kampung Forest coastal area came across several men in a suspicious manner unloading "something" from a speedboat, at about 8.15pm, on Sunday.
Approaching the men, they identified themselves, but the men sped off in the boat towards the open sea. Upon checking, the police recovered the eggs in 20 sacks, believed brought in from the Philippines for the local market.
The eggs, listed in the protected list of the Sabah Wildlife Department, could fetch RM2.80 each.
These items had been referred to the Wildlife Department for further action.
Muhammad commended public cooperation for the recovery of the turtle eggs.
Malaysia seizes rare turtle eggs
BBC News 4 Nov 08;
The authorities in Malaysia say they have seized 10,000 endangered turtle eggs that were being smuggled into the country from the Philippines.
The eggs are considered a delicacy and were destined for local food markets where they can fetch a good price.
Police in the Sabah region of Malaysia say this is their largest ever haul of smuggled turtle eggs.
They say they intercepted four men who were unloading the cargo from a speedboat on a beach.
The smugglers escaped but abandoned 20 sacks of eggs, which police say are from endangered species like the Green and Hawksbill turtles.
Eggs in demand
"Our investigations have revealed that a syndicate obtained the eggs from several islands in the Philippines," said Muhammed Sallam Spawi, a police official in the city of Sandakan.
"There is a huge demand among locals and the eggs are easily available. We are constantly doing raids and apprehending irresponsible traders," he added.
Wildlife officials will now try to incubate the eggs, but those that fail to hatch will have to be destroyed.
The trade in rare turtle eggs is illegal in Malaysia, but many species have been badly hit in recent years by smuggling, fishing and coastal development.
Police say the eggs are still readily available in many markets.
Turtles that make it to adulthood are also prized for their meat and in some cases for their shells which are used to make ornaments.
Malaysian police seize 10,000 endangered turtle eggs
Yahoo News 4 Nov 08;
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysia police said Tuesday they have seized a massive haul of 10,000 endangered turtle eggs which were destined for sale in food markets on Borneo island.
Muhammad Sallam Spawi, marine police chief in Sandakan city on the northeast coast of Malaysian Borneo, said the eggs were thought to have been smuggled from nearby islands in the Philippines.
"This is the biggest haul for us in history. These are eggs from endangered species of turtles and were to have been sold at the Sandakan market," Muhammad Salam told AFP.
"Our investigations have revealed that a syndicate obtained the eggs from several islands in the Philippines," he said.
Marine police on Sunday raided a beach in Sandakan, in Sabah state, after receiving a tip-off. In October they seized 3,000 turtle eggs in the same area.
Four smugglers were unloading the eggs from a speed boat when police arrived. The smugglers panicked and escaped in the boat, leaving 20 sacks of eggs behind.
Turtle eggs are sold openly in Malaysian markets and fetch a price of up to 2.80 ringgit (0.80 US cents) each, despite legislation banning their sale or consumption in Sabah state.
"There is a huge demand among locals and the eggs are easily available. We are constantly doing raids and apprehending irresponsible traders," Muhammad Salam said.
He said the eggs had been handed to the local wildlife department which will identify the species and try to salvage them.
"The eggs which fail to hatch will have to be destroyed," he said.
Malaysia was once the scene of massive numbers of turtle nestings along its shoreline, but development as well as widespread plundering of eggs has caused the numbers to plummet in recent years.
