Lorry crammed with exotic animals, reptiles seized

[Guest guest]

http://www.emedia.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/NewsBreak/20021119171216/A

rticle/

 

Lorry crammed with exotic animals, reptiles seized

T. Thant

 

PADANG BESAR, Nov 19: The Anti-Smuggling Unit yesterday seized a lorry

crammed with birds, chameleons, centipedes, scorpions, lizards, snakes,

spiders, monitor lizards, and dogs, believed to be from Thailand.

 

The team followed the lorry before stopping it at KM21 Jalan Kubang

Tiga-Padang Besar about 6.30pm

 

Chuping UPP commander assitant superintendent Khamis Hamzah said some of the

animals were believed to be destined for the cooking pot.

 

The lorry was filled with 20 dogs, 30 poisonous snakes, 1,000 spiders, 990

lizards, 200 scorpions and 100 centipedes.

 

They were hidden behind stacks of paper in the lorry.

 

In a separate operation, the unit seized three cows believed to have been

smuggled through the border checkpoint at Kampung Abi near here today.

 

Khamis said the cows, with a market price of RM1,000 each, was believed to

have been brought in for the coming festive season.

 

From both operations, three lorry drivers and their attendants had been

detained to assist police investigation.

 

The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act

1957.

 

He said the unit also seized at least six dozen bottles of branded hard

liquor in a check carried out at KM21 in Jalan Kubang Tiga-Padang Besar

about 7.30pm on Sunday.