Ex-soldier held over bid to smuggle 65 pangolins into Thailand
BUKIT KAYU HITAM: The Malaysian Border Security Agency (Aksem) yesterday foiled an attempt by a retired soldier to smuggle 65 live pangolins worth RM75,000 out of the country.
Bukit Kayu Hitam Aksem commander ASP Mohd Khairi Abdullah said the 57-year-old man, who was driving a Mercedes, was nabbed at 10am at a roadblock set up at Km1.1 of Bukit Kayu Hitam Highway to Thailand.
He said checks on the vehicle turned up a number of blue sacks containing live pangolins weighing about 300kg in the boot.
“The sacks were covered with canvas sheets.
“The man failed to furnish the relevant documents and admitted to obtaining the mammals from a person in Jitra.
“The car was earlier driven by another person to a place where the pangolins were collected before it was returned to the man from Kuala Nerang,” he said at Aksem’s administration complex yesterday.
Khairi said the suspect claimed that he was paid RM1,800, or RM6 for each kg of pangolins that he transported.
“We believed that it was not the man’s first time smuggling the animals.
“This is, however, the first time he was caught.
“We believe the pangolins were ordered by different people in neighbouring countries based on the paint colours on the animals.
“Pangolin meat is highly sought after as it is used in exotic dishes while their scales are used in traditional medicine.
“This is despite the hefty price of up to RM20,000 per kg.”
Khairi said the seizure was valued at RM95,000, including the car worth about RM20,000.
He said the suspect, together with the pangolins and the car, would be handed over to the National Parks and Wildlife Department for action.
He said the man faced five charges under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
The animals will be released into their natural habitat as pangolins are an endangered species.