Three Filipino turtle egg sellers jailed

SANDAKAN: The Sessions Court here jailed three Filipinos for selling turtle eggs illegally in the Sandakan Town area on Aug 7.

The accused, Abdul Bin Rasah, 60, Alkubar Bin Hamijan, 33, and Abdul Rahman Bin Ebnul, 34, were jailed for one year, 14 months and 20 months, respectively, starting yesterday.

Sessions judge Ummu Kalthom Abdul Samad meted out the punishments after the trio pleaded guilty and taking into account public interests and the implication that the sale of turtle eggs could push them into extinction.

She also ordered that they be handed to the Immigration Department after undergoing their jail terms as they did not have identification documents.

The charge was made under Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 which carries a fi ne of not less than RM50,000 and not more than RM250,000 and jail of not less than a year and not more than five years.

Earlier, Sabah Wildlife Department Prosecuting officer Abdul Karim Dakog urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence taking into account public interests.

Abdul, Alkubar and Abdul Rahman were detained in an integrated operation by the Sandakan Wildlife Department, Marine Police Force and the Sandakan Municipal Council’s enforcement unit.

Abdul was detained at 11.30 am in Jalan Prayer Bandar Sandakan, Alkubar was detained at the same place at 12.15 pm with 23 and 83 turtle eggs each while Abdul Rahman was detained at 11.30 am in front of the Wisma Khoo bus stop in Jalan Buli Sim- Sim with 130 turtle eggs.