Smugglers' boatload of wildlife
New Straits Times 14 Sep 09;
ROMPIN: Marine police foiled an attempt to smuggle out about 12 tonnes of exotic animals using a fishing boat in Tanjung Gemuk near here on Saturday.
Two suspects, in their 40s and 50s, were arrested while they were busy transferring 18 boxes containing live and dead animals from a lorry onto a boat at an old jetty about 3am. Among the animals and their parts seized were sunbear, monitor lizards and owls.
Marine police Region 3 Operation division head Deputy Superintendent Mohd Hassan Hasyim said investigations showed the suspects had brought the exotic animals from Tanjung Malim.
"They planned to load the animals into the fishing boat before transferring the consignment into another vessel at sea.
"We believe that the animals were destined for a neighbouring country to be sold at restaurants there," he told a press conference here yesterday.
Hassan said it was the first of such case this year and the Marine police would hand over the seized animals and parts to the Wildlife and National Parks Department.
Malaysian police seize smuggled bear parts, owls
Associated Press Yahoo News 15 Sep 09;
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian police say they have seized more than $100,000 worth of dead owls, bear paws and live monitor lizards and arrested two men on suspicion of trying to smuggle them abroad.
Mohamad Hassan Hashim, a marine police official in eastern Terengganu state, says two Malaysian men were caught Sunday loading the protected wildlife into a boat.
He says police found 33 sun bear parts, 264 dead owls and 4,800 live monitor lizards, worth some 350,000 ringgit ($100,300) in all. The lizards will be released into the wild.
Mohamad Hassan said Monday the men could face up to three years in prison if charged with and found guilty of possessing protected wild animals.
