Malaysia cracks down on wildlife smuggling
Malaysia has launched a law enforcement action to protect wildlife, seizing dozens of suspects and conducting a money laundering investigation on a local wildlife criminal group.
The operation began on September 3 and is co-led by the Royal Malaysian Police Force and Peninsula Wildlife and National Parks Authority in response to Malaysia's wildlife poaching and trafficking crisis.
In the three months since the operation began, 64 offenders related to 21 wildlife crime cases have been arrested, mainly in the north and east of the Peninsular Malaysia. One of the largest operations took place in November, when 642 animals were seized in Tok Bali, Kelantan. Prior to shipping the shipment to Vietnam, the police seized 100 ordinary palms, 26 water-monitoring lizards and more than 500 freshwater turtles shipped to exotic meat markets. One local and three Vietnamese nationals were arrested.
The suspects related to other cases include 20 Malaysians, 14 from China, 9 from Cambodia, 6 from Bangladesh, 6 from Myanmar, 4 from Indonesia, 3 from Thailand and 2 from Vietnam.
Turtle trade
A newly published study conducted by TRAFFIC was commissioned by the CITES Secretariat to document the thousands of sea turtles and their parts seized in the physical and online markets in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. From 2015 to July 2019, at least 2,354 live turtles and dead armors were seized in these three countries, and a total of 163 law enforcement incidents occurred. 91,000 eggs (more than 75,000 in Malaysia) seized, as well as nearly 3,000 shells and a 7-tonne turtle meat
In the process of transporting sea turtle products to China, Vietnam is mainly a destination market and a transit route. Indonesia is mainly used as the country of origin and the seized goods are sent to China, Vietnam and Malaysia. Malaysia is both
The destination countries for turtle eggs in Indonesia and the Philippines are probably local consumers and sources of turtle products in Vietnam. Studies on seizures elsewhere but in association with these three countries have also revealed international sea turtle trafficking involving China, France and the Philippines. Due to the large amount of transportation and fishing activities in the South China Sea, the South China Sea is considered a safe haven for illegal fishing and trading of sea turtles.
Money laundering
The investigation under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorist Financing and Proceeds from Illegal Activities (ALAMFTA) stemmed from a case on November 19 in which four locals were believed to have been arrested behind hunting and selling animal parts. During the raids at four locations, law enforcement officers confiscated animal parts, including Asian ivory, antlers and various animal skins. The animal parts are believed to be sold to Malaysia and Thailand, and the four animals are believed to have been in operation for five to six years.
Deputy Police Inspector General Datuk Mazlan Manso told the press that the 13 bank accounts of the suspect and his family members, which reportedly contained about $ 395,000, have now been frozen.
Information on local elephant poaching gangs has only recently been revealed, with 11 Malaysians arrested in 2017 and 2018, believed to have killed more than 35 elephants for teeth and other parts.
The person in question will face a fine not less than five times the value obtained at the time of the crime or $ 1.25 million (whichever is higher) or, upon conviction, a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Asian elephants are under increasing threat, mainly due to habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation. Asian elephants are more threatened and fewer than African cousins: only males carry ivory, so any animal that poachs ivory will cause bias in the sex ratio and seriously affect wild populations.