ROY GOH New Straits Times 9 Aug 16;
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Wildlife Department rangers yesterday arrested two men and made a gruesome find on them - mutilated parts of two Malayan Sun Bears meant to be sold off for the right price.
Among the items seized from the two men were eight bear paws, two gall bladders and eight teeth, all supposedly from two bears.
Sabah Wildlife director William Baya said the arrests and seizures were made following a tip-off from the public about two men who were on their way to Tanjung Aru to sell the parts.
“Our enforcement unit arrested the two suspects as they were getting out from their vehicle.
"Their pickup truck and mobile phones were also confiscated in the raid.
They are now being remanded at the Penampang police station awaiting further questioning by our investigating officer," William said.
He said the Malayan Sun Bear is a totally protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
If convicted under Section 41(1) of the Enactment, the penalty is a jail term of up to five years or a fine of up to RM 50,000 or both.
Two Sabahans nabbed over sun bear trade
MUGUNTAN VANAR The Star 9 Aug 16;
KOTA KINABALU: Two local men were arrested trying to sell body parts of the totally protected Malayan sun bears.
Sabah Wildlife Department director William Baya said the suspects, in their 30s, both from interior Sabah, had arrived here to sell the body parts on Monday.
Wildlife rangers seized eight bear paws, two gall bladders and eight teeth belonging to sun bears from the suspects.
He said the public had tipped off the department that the suspects were on their way to Tanjung Aru to arrange for a sales transaction.
“I directed my team to immediately go to the location and look for the suspects,” he said.
Baya declined to say how much the body parts were sold for.
He said the team arrested the suspects as they were alighting from their vehicle and confiscated several items, including a 4WD and hand phones.
“We have remanded the duo at Penampang district police headquarters,” Baya said.
Malayan sun bears are totally protected under Sabah’s Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
Offenders can be jailed up to five years or fine up to RM50,000 or to both.
The illicit trading of the bear’s gall bladders could fetch between RM1,500 and RM2,000 a piece, the paws up to RM200 per piece while the teeth could fetch about RM100 a piece.
