Attempt To Smuggle Anteaters Foiled in Johor, Malaysia

Bernama 5 Nov 09;

JOHOR BAHARU, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an attempt to smuggle in 55 anteaters worth RM75,000 in the waters off Parit Jawa, near Muar, Thursday.

MMEA southern region enforcement chief Commander Abdul Razak Johan said the anteaters were left in a boat by a sand bank after smugglers of exotic animals realised the presence of MMEA personnel patrolling the area around 6am.

"Our patrol boat noticed a fibre boat carrying at least two people moving along a mangrove swamp in a suspicious manner.

"On realising the presence of the authoritites, they sped away before the boat got caught at a sand bank and forced them to jump into the waters before escaping into the mangrove forest," he said in a statement here today.

Abdul Razak said on checking the boat they found 55 anteaters (pangolins), weighing between three to five kilogrammes each,

Anteaters can fetch between RM200 and RM250 per kg in the market.

He said the protected species were believed to have been smuggled from a neighbouring country because of their shiny greenish-black colour, which are not available locally.

-- BERNAMA