Tuesday April 15, 2008
98 pangolins seized alive in storehouse raid
PENANG: Ninety-eight pangolins were seized from a storehouse in Kampung Kubang Menerung, Kepala Batas, early yesterday.
State operations enforcement unit leader Khairul Nizam Yahaya said three people were arrested in the raid which followed two weeks of surveillance by state Wildlife and National Parks Department officers.
“All 98 pangolins have been found alive and appear to be in good condition and we believe they were meant to be smuggled out of the country,” Khairul Nizam said.
He added that the department was unsure of which country the pangolins were destined for but estimated their value to be around RM50,000.
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Exotic cuisine: State Wildlife and National Parks officers Rofley Ambuka (left), Khairul, and Zainuddin Ishak showing the seized pangolins. |
“Pangolins are quite popular as exotic food in other countries and their scales are said to have medicinal value.
“If caught, pangolins can be sold to local suppliers for about RM130 a kilo,” Khairul Nizam said, adding that suppliers could then fetch a much higher price selling the animals overseas.
Khairul Nizam said the windscreen of the department’s four-wheel drive was smashed after a man, believed to be part of the smuggling syndicate, threw a large stone at the vehicle as it was exiting the village.
No one was injured in the attack and a police report has been lodged at the Bukit Mertajam police station.
The three men arrested have been released on bail.
Pangolins are a protected species under the Wildlife Act and possession of the animal carries a fine of not more than RM5,000 and/or jail time of not more than three years.
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