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Published: Monday September 28, 2009 MYT 2:29:00 PM

Special forces bust up pangolin smuggling op

By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH


MUAR: A general operation force (GOF) intelligence unit seized about 40 live pangolins, including several infants of the species, after a short car chase along Sungai Sarang Buaya late Sunday.

The six policemen from the sixth GOF battalion in Bakri also arrested a 24-year-old man in the 11pm incident on Sunday.

The unit, headed by Asst. Supt. Azha Ahmad, spent about four days staking out the river estuary before spotting two boats approaching the coast.

One boat returned to the sea after the other landed near the estuary. ASP Azha said two men then began loading sacks of live pangolins into a car before realising they were being watched and sped away.

“Our men gave chase and after about 100m the smuggler lost control of the car, which skidded into the river.

“The driver of the car managed to escape in the dark but his friend was arrested,” he said early Monday.

ASP Azha said the seized animals, with an estimated street value of over RM70,000, were surrendered to the Wildlife and National Parks Department here.

He said the captured suspect, from Kampung Parit Enam in Sungai Balang, had been detained to assist investigations into the smuggling of pangolins from Indonesia.

Pangolins are protected animals and the case will be investigated under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, he added.

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