Nadia Badarudin, New Straits Times 28 Sep 09;
ALOR STAR: A suspected illegal dealer in dried skins of protected wildlife was detained here yesterday.
Acting on a tip-off, the state anti-smuggling unit seized five dried wildlife skins, believed to be that of wolves, from the 56-year-old's car, which was parked at Darulaman Stadium about 5pm.
The dried skins were packed inside two boxes in the boot of his car.
Preliminary checks showed the man, who did not have any Customs Department declaration on the dried skins, had illegally sourced the contraband from abroad.
Checks also showed that the items were recently sent to him from Hong Kong.
Unit commander Mohd Noor Idris said after questioning him, the man led a six-man party to his house in Taman Sejahtera, also near here.
Inside his house, the raiding party recovered 12 more dried skins, also believed to be that of wolves.
The skins, measuring about one-metre long and about 0.5m in width around the animals' bellies, were kept in similar boxes, bearing the names of an international courier firm. The boxes also bore a similar address in Hong Kong.
Mohd Noor said the dried wildlife skins, sold in the black market for about RM500 a piece, were meant for the domestic market.
"We believe the suspect trades in the items, sourced from China, only for local consumption."
Sunday's seizure of the dried animal skins was the second by the unit this year.
In May, it seized five dried Malayan tiger skins from two Thais at a roadblock at the Changlun-Bukit Kayu Hitam Expressway.
Mohd Noor ruled out the possibility that both cases were related.
The latest case is now being investigated by the Wildlife and National Parks Department under the Wildlife Protection Act.
The man faces the maximum fine of RM8,000 or five years' jail or both upon conviction.
A spokesman for the department said the dried skins would be sent to the Chemistry Department to ascertain the species.
Animal pelt smuggler released on bail
The Star 29 Sep 09;
ALOR SETAR: The 56-year-old man arrested with 17 animal pelts has been released on bail.
State Wildlife and National Parks Department director Rahim Ahmad said the man, a trader from Kuala Kedah, was questioned and released on a RM3,000 bail posted by a friend at about 11pm on Sunday.
“We are carrying out preliminary analysis by taking pictures and tagging the pelts prior to sending them to our headquarters in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, for DNA tests to determine the animal species.
“We are investigating this case as possession of protected animals under Section 64 and Section 68 of the Wildlife Act 1976/1972,” he said.
The Kedah Anti-Smuggling Unit detained the man at the Stadium Darulaman car park after recovering five animal pelts from his car on Sunday. He later led the team to his house where another 12 pelts were recovered.
The pelts are said to be that of tigers, leopards, wolves and hyenas.
It is learnt that a syndicate couriered the pelts from Hong Kong to the man’s house.
This is the second time this year that the anti-smuggling unit seized such pelts from smugglers.
On May 29, five tiger pelts worth RM90,000 were seized at a roadblock near the Malaysia-Thai border in Bukit Kayu Hitam.
