LOH FOON FONG The Star 1 Apr 17;
CHERAS: As many as 50 protected animals and birds were seized in raids carried out by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan).
Seven people were detained in the raids for supplying wildlife through illegal online businesses and another four were detained for poaching.
Among the 49 animals seized in three raids on March 27 were leaf monkeys (lotong cengkong), civets (musang), Asiatic leopard cats (kucing batu), Indian star tortoises and hill myna (burung tiong mas) while a dead barking deer was seized on March 29 from four poachers, said Perhilitan.
"The department has been monitoring them (the illegal traders) and we believe we have crippled a major syndicate that trades wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia through social media," said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He said this in a press conference Saturday to announce Perhilitan's Ops Taring V enforcement operations.
Seven nabbed for selling protected animals online, 49 animals rescued
FAISAL ASYRAF and ESTHER LANDAU New Straits Times 1 Apr 17;
KUALA LUMPUR: Seven individuals have been arrested by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) on Monday for smuggling and selling protected animals online.
During the operation in Sentul, Ampang and Seremban, Negri Sembilan, Perhilitan also rescued 49 protected animals including leaf monkeys, asian palm civets, asiatic leopard cats, Indian Star tortoise, and hill myna birds.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the suspects have exploited the social media by getting involved in illegal wildlife trading.
He said the first arrest was made on a 46-year-old Pakistani man in Sentul, here. He was found with two boxes that contained three leaf monkeys on his motorcycle.
In a second raid, a 36-year-old woman was arrested at her house in Ampang, here.
The enforcement officers found in her house three asian palm civets, seven leaf monkeys, and six asiatic leopard cats. She did not possess any licence to keep the protected animals.
In the third raid, Negri Sembilan Perhilitan enforcement officers nabbed five individuals at a parking lot near Senawang toll plaza in Seremban.
Officers, upon checking two cars belonging to them found 28 Indian Star tortoises and two hill myna birds.
He said they too did not have any licence to keep the protected wildlife animals.
