FWD: Bizarre haul of animals in anti-smuggling check

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This article is from thestar.com.my

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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/11/20/nation/kgrwild & sec=nation

 

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Wednesday, November 20, 2002

Bizarre haul of animals in anti-smuggling check

By IAN MCINTYRE

 

KANGAR: A routine anti-smuggling check on a lorry turned up more than 2,000

exotic animals and insects under a stack of old boxes on Monday.

 

 

 

The bizarre haul – 20 puppies, 990 lizards, 30 snakes, 1,000 spiders, 100

centipedes and 200 scorpions – was believed to be the first of its kind by the

Anti-Smuggling Unit (UPP) in Perlis.

 

While the puppies were kept in six wire-mesh cages, the scorpions, spiders and

centipedes were found in five gunny sacks and the snakes and lizards in seven

plastic bags.

 

A UPP patrol crew detained the 43-year-old lorry driver after stumbling upon

the animals while checking the lorry at Km21, Jalan Kubang Tiga in Chuping, near

the Malaysian-Thai border, at about 6.30pm.

 

Chuping UPP chief ASP Khamis Hamzah said his men stopped the lorry when they

saw the pile of boxes covered in a suspicious manner.

 

He said initial investigations showed that the animals had been smuggled in

from Thailand and might be meant for the export market.

 

“We will hand over the suspect to the Customs authority or further

investigations,” he told a press conference yesterday.

 

The suspect could face the maximum fine of 10 times more than the actual value

of the seized goods if found guilty.

 

 

 

A state Wildlife Department spokesman expressed surprise over the smuggling of

animals such as scorpions and lizards unless they were being kept as pets, to be

placed illegally in animal sanctuaries or for studies.

 

“There could be a demand for puppies since dogs were common household pets but

why smuggle them when they are easily available in Malaysia,” he said.

 

He added that the department could help to ascertain whether the species were

gazetted as protected under the International Wildlife Protection List.

 

“Animals deemed as wild and poisonous can be sent back to their natural

habitats if there are no indisputable claims or if they are listed as protected

species,” he added.

 

The same day, another UPP team detained a lorry driver, also 43, for trying to

smuggle in three bulls through the Bukit Bintang Forest Reserve area at 6.45pm.

 

On Sunday, UPP men caught a 24-year-old motorist for smuggling in 72 bottles of

Thai liquor near Beseri here.

 

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