The Star 31 Aug 10;
PETALING JAYA: The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry wants to beef up its enforcement to prevent endangered wildlife from being smuggled out of the country.
Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said the ministry had a top management meeting yesterday to discuss the recent attempt by international wildlife trader Anson Wong to smuggle over 90 snakes of various species and ways to prevent similar incidents.
On Aug 26, Wong was detained at the KL International Airport following the seizure of 95 boa constrictors, two rhinoceros vipers and a mata-mata turtle.
Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that Wong was picked up at 8.50pm by airport security for allegedly trying to smuggle the snakes to another country. It is learnt he was on transit from Penang to Jakarta.
Wong has been remanded until today to facilitate investigations.
The boa constrictor is listed in Appendix II of the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008 and Wong could be fined up to RM100,000 for each animal or imprisoned up to seven years or both if charged and convicted.
Wong has a record for wildlife trafficking and was jailed in the United States for 71 months in 2000.
Probe officer who let Wong carry snakes
The Star 31 Aug 10;
I REFER to “International Wildlife Smuggler held at KLIA” (The Star, Aug 28). Kudos to the enforcement authorities at the airport for their vigilance that led to the arrest of convicted wildlife trader Anson Wong.
Apart from my appeal to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) to prosecute Wong to the maximum extent under the International Trade of Endangered Species Act 2008, my question is: who is the officer at Penang International Airport who enabled Anson to check in his bag of snakes?
Any case against Wong must include prosecuting the officer involved as an accomplice and putting innocent flight passengers in danger.
AZRINA ABDULLAH,
Petaling Jaya.
