Marine police seize 624 exotic animals worth RM241,840 in Pasir Puteh
PASIR PUTEH: Region 3 Marine Police Force foiled an attempt to smuggle out 624 exotic animals worth RM241,840 in a raid in Kampung Air Tawar, Tok Bali here yesterday.
Its commander ACP Norzaid Muhammad Said said the animals that were seized in the 6 pm raid included tortoises, softshell turtles, and monitor lizards.
“We also detained four suspects including three Vietnamese nationals, aged between 18 and 40,” he told a press conference here today adding that a Proton Iswara car and a weighing scale were also seized in the raid.
Norzaid said the raid was conducted after 10-day surveillance and intelligence work
He said during the raid the suspects were loading the animals, believed to be smuggled to Vietnam into a boat.
“We believe that the animals which were obtained from Machang, Perak and Pahang were meant to be smuggled out using the sea route,” he said.
All the suspects were remanded for four days from the day they were arrested and the case is being investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
Bernama
