PUTRAJAYA: Authorities must intensify the enforcement of wildlife protection laws and tighten inspection and monitoring procedures to prevent the smuggling of endangered animals through airports.
Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) chairman Tan Sri Dr Ismail Bakar emphasised the need for regular maintenance of scanning machines at entry points to ensure they remain in optimal operating condition.
“The EAIC will investigate root causes of weaknesses in the current surveillance and enforcement system and propose proactive measures to improve the situation,” he told Bernama recently.
He made these remarks in response to an Oct 26 report highlighting the black market trade of endangered species, including golden turtles, which are now being illegally trafficked as exotic pets by smuggling syndicates.
A source from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) revealed that based on intelligence, smuggling syndicates often use mules to transport animals into the country on commercial flights from abroad.
According to the source, the modus operandi of concealing endangered turtles in large quantities within luggage raises questions about how smugglers are able to bypass airport x-ray scanners.
Ismail said EAIC views the issue seriously as it exposes potential weaknesses in the current surveillance and enforcement system, potentially indicating integrity risks among enforcement agencies and officers.
“Closer cooperation between enforcement agencies and related parties is also crucial to increase efficiency in dealing with this issue,” he said.
