G.C. TAN The Star 8 Jul 17;
KANGAR: An attempt to smuggle 58 bearded dragon lizards and eight Sulcata tortoises into the country was foiled when the exotic animals were rescued by Padang Besar Malaysian Border Security Agency (Aksem) at Kampung Kolam in Padang Besar.
Perlis Aksem commander Deputy Superintendent Syed Basri Syed Ali said a 36-year-old Malaysian from Klang, Selangor, and two Thai nationals were detained during a spot check at 3.30pm on Thursday.
“The Thais, a 24-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman, are both from Bangkok.
“We also seized a white car,” he said.
DSP Syed Basri said they believed the exotic animals were meant for a Klang-based pet shop owner.
“We are investigating how the exotic animals could have passed through the authorities at the check point.
“The seized animals have been handed over to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 69 of the Wildlife Protection Act 2010 (Act 716).
If found guilty, the suspects face a jail term up to 10 years and a fine not more than RM200,000.
Attempt to smuggle bearded dragons, sulcata tortoises foiled
G.C. TAN The Star 7 Jul 17;
PADANG BESAR: An attempt to smuggle 58 bearded dragons and eight sulcata tortoises worth RM18,100 into the country was foiled during a raid at Kampung Kolam here on Thursday.
Three people — a 36-year-old Malaysian man from Klang, Selangor, a 24-year-old Thai man and a 28-year-old Thai woman, both from Bangkok — were detained by Padang Besar Malaysian Border Security Agency (Aksem) in the 3.30pm raid.
Perlis Aksem commander Deputy Superintendent Syed Basri Syed Ali said the case is being investigated under Section 69 of the Wildlife Protection Act 2010 (Act 716) for hunting or keeping protected wildlife without a special permit.
"If found guilty, the suspects could each be jailed up to 10 years and fined not more than RM200,000," he said on Friday.
Malaysia foils bid to smuggle 'bearded dragons'
The Star 10 Jul 17;
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysia has foiled an attempt to smuggle dozens of bearded dragon lizards and tortoises into the country from neighbouring Thailand to be sold as pets, authorities said Monday.
Two Thais and one Malaysian were arrested as they drove an SUV with the animals hidden inside, according to local border security chief Syed Basri Syed Ali.
Authorities found 58 bearded dragons and eight African spurred tortoises.
Both animals are popular pets in Malaysia but it is illegal to bring them into the country without the correct permits.
If found guilty of breaking wildlife protection laws, the trio -- who were arrested Thursday -- could be jailed for up to 10 years, said Syed Basri.
Kanitha Krishnasamy, acting regional director for wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic, told AFP the discovery could help investigators probing pet smuggling.
"This case could potentially uncover connections to the exotic pet trade that appears to be booming in Malaysia," she said.
African spurred tortoises are kept as pets due to their reputation for having a pleasant temperament. The world's third-largest tortoise, they are classified as "vulnerable" by protection group the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Bearded dragons -- which take their name from the scales under their head that resemble a beard -- are popular pets due to their hardy and tame nature.
