Customs foil attempt to smuggle wildlife parts worth RM80m

 

The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has foiled a syndicate’s attempt to smuggle wildlife parts, including elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, pangolin scales and tiger fangs worth RM80 million that were hidden behind a pile of sawn timber in a container.

Customs director-general Zazuli Johan said the container was seized at West Port, Port Klang, on July 10, making it the biggest seizure involving wildlife parts.

He added that previously, Customs officers scored big when they seized pangolin scales and elephant tusks worth RM40 million and RM2.4 million, respectively, in 2012.

Customs director-general Zazuli Johan

“The container, believed from an African country, was supposed to dock at Pasir Gudang Port, Johor, to be transferred to another ship. But we received information on the smuggling and intercepted the container at West Port,” Zazuli said at a press conference in Port Klang yesterday.

Physical checks on the container revealed elephant tusks, weighing about 6,000kg, 29kg of rhinoceros horns, 100kg of pangolin scales, 14kg of wildlife horns, as well as, 300kg of animal skulls and bones hidden behind stacked sawn timber, he added.

Zazuli said the Customs Department believes Malaysia is a transit point for such goods to be taken to other countries to be marketed.

He added that wildlife part imports are banned under the Third Schedule of the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008 (Act 686), except with permits issued by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.

Zazuli, however, said no arrests were made so far, and investigations on the importer and shipping agents are ongoing.

He added that the case is being investigated under Section 135 (1)(a) of the Customs Act 1967 for trying to smuggle illegal or duty unpaid goods via Malaysian ports.

- Bernama