RM8.4M PANGOLIN SEIZURE IN SABAH
Syndicate had been operating for seven years
SABAH police and the wildlife enforcement team have uncovered a local pangolin smuggling syndicate which has been operating for seven years in Kota Kinabalu and districts here.
The syndicate is also involved in the processing of the meat and skin of the protected animal.
Two days ago, the police and an enforcement team from the Sabah Wildlife Department raided a factory in Jalan Sepanggar, Kota Kinabalu, and a warehouse in Kampung Bontoi, Jalan Tamparuli, here, and seized live pangolins, frozen pangolins, pangolin scales and meat worth RM8.4 million.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said the joint operation was carried out following a tip-off on pangolin meat and skin processing and smuggling in the state capital.
“We raided a factory (in Jalan Sepanggar) and found animal meat believed to be of pangolins, which was processed and frozen inside six freezers. We discovered several live pangolins in cages and 10 gunny sacks of pangolin scales.
“We have detained a local man, aged 35, who was at the factory,” said Omar here yesterday.
Also present were Sabah Wildlife director Augustine Tuuga and Kota Kinabalu police chief assistant commissioner Habibi Majinji.
Omar said the team inspected a car and found 35 live pangolins in the boot. Two gunny sacks of pangolin scales and a digital weighing device were also found.
Following the first raid, he said the suspect led a police and wildlife enforcement team to a warehouse in Kampung Bontoi here, where they discovered three containers loaded with boxes containing pangolin meat.
Omar said seizures from the factory and warehouse consisted of 61 live pangolins, 361kg of pangolin scales and 1,860 boxes of pangolin meat, each box weighing 15kg.
“Each kilogramme is valued at RM300. We also seized two sun bear legs and four frozen carcasses believed to be of flying foxes,” he said.
Omar said investigations revealed that the arrested man acted as manager of the factory in Sepanggar, which was believed to have started its operations seven years ago.
He said the man bought pangolins from local illegal hunters and the protected animals were believed to be caught in the state and sent to the factory to be processed and packed in boxes.
“Investigations revealed that the pangolins were for the local markets and Sarawak. We do not rule out the possibility that the pangolins were exported to other countries,” he said.
He said investigations was ongoing to track down other individuals involved in the syndicate.