KUALA LUMPUR: More than RM3mil worth of live and dead animals were seized when the Wildlife and National Parks Department raided two locations in Johor last week.
Among the animals were 7,000 clouded monitor lizards, 1,000 owls, pangolins, crested serpent eagles, pythons, mousedeer, Malayan porcupine and wild pigs. Bear parts were also found in the raid.
A 49-year-old man was charged in a magistrate’s court in Tangkak on Nov 7 and is out on a RM19,000 bail.
Director-general Datuk Abd Rasid Samsudin said that this was the second time the man had been detained.
He was fined RM7,500 in 2004 for having 182 pangolins and 1.3kg of pangolin scales.
“The live and dead animal parts can be distributed for consumption as exotic meat,” Abd Rasid told a press conference yesterday.
He said such meat dishes, cooked with herbs, were widely popular among diners especially men and could be priced as much as RM300 per bowl.
The protected animals fetch high prices at restaurants in Vietnam, Hong Kong and China.
Abd Rasid said eight members of the Wildlife Crime Unit seized 13 species of protected wildlife at the man’s house during the first raid which was conducted in Muar on Nov 4 at about 8am,
The dead animals were in several freezers while the live animals were found in the backyard.
The team raided another location in Segamat three days later and found 7,093 live clouded monitor lizards in a holding pen.
The case is due for mention on Feb 20 next year.