ALOR STAR: The Peninsular National Parks and Wildlife Department has rescued 85 pangolins worth RM350,000 from being smuggled in Kampung Darat, Changlun.
Its state director Muhammad Ali Che Aman said the protected animal were found in sacks inside a house during the raid at 7.45am yesterday.
He said following the seizure, a 37-year-old man was detained and was subesequently remanded for four days to facilitate investigations under Section 68(2)(a) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 for illegal possession of the protected wildlife.
He said the department carried out the raid following a tip-off that the house was being used as a transit in the animal smuggling ring.
“There were three men in the house when the raiding party arrived but two of them, believe to be Thais managed to escape.
“The local man was detained for failing to produce a permit to keep the the pangolins,” he said at a press conference here today.
Ali said initial investigations showed that pangolins were destined for Thailand, Vietnam and China.
He said a kilogramme of pangolin meat could fetch between RM200 and RM300 here and the price was five times higher overseas.
“We believe that the pangolins come from Indonesia and Malaysia is being used as transit before they are transported to Thailand and later China,” he said.
Ali said the department seized 399 pangolins worth RM1.5 million from five cases in Baling, Changlun, Jitra, Bukit Kayu Hitam and here until Nov 7.
Translated from Harian Metro