Hundreds of birds die in botched smuggling bid

KUALA LUMPUR: Hundreds of birds being trafficked from Malaysia to Indonesia died after smugglers threw them into the water when they were intercepted by the coast guard, an official said yesterday.

The birds, believed to be mostly a type of lark often sold as pets in Indonesia, were tossed into the sea in their cages by suspected traffickers as they were pursued on Tuesday off the southwest coast of the peninsula.

“There were 300 birds. Only three have been saved,” coast guard official Commander Azman Samsudin said.

“When the smugglers were chased by us, they threw the birds into the sea.”

Four Indonesian suspects were arrested after the confrontation in the Straits of Malacca.

The birds were thought to have been brought from Vietnam to Malaysia by land.

Azman said it was the first animal-smuggling attempt that officials had seen along the country’s southern coast in recent years.

Trafficking wild birds is rampant in Southeast Asia, with many making their way to Indonesia where it is popular to keep them as pets and pit them against one another in singing contests. AFP

There were 300 birds. Only three have been saved. When the smugglers were chased by us, they threw the birds into the sea. COMMANDER AZMAN SAMSUDIN Coast guard official