Guest guest Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 Animals seized from smugglers BY JACK WONG KUCHING: Months of probing led enforcement officers to a secluded spot in a border forest where they found more than 50 captured protected animals and wildlife specimens. The officers from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation also stumbled upon the skeletal remains of a small primate, believed to be a baby orang-utan. A foreigner and a local detained at the spot are being questioned. Initial investigations point to an international smuggling ring carrying out an illicit wildlife trade. The seized wildlife – found in cages and inside enclosures – included birds and two cervus unicolour deer believed to have been smuggled into Sarawak from Kalimantan, Indonesia. WILDLIFE IN DANGER: The deer that were among the protected animals found kept by the smugglers in a secluded jungle spot near Lubok Antu. Among other the wildlife seized in Sunday night’s raid were spotted doves, adjutant storks, white-bellied fish eagles, and two pheasant species, the lophura bulweri and the crested fireback. The corporation’s security and asset protection unit general manager Sani Bakar told a press conference here yesterday that the smuggling of these specimens was fuelled by international demand, especially from collectors, for the aesthetic appeal of the animals and birds.He warned that these specimens, especially the birds, could carry and spread infectious diseases that might affect the poultry industry as well as human health. He said the raid culminated the unit’s longest active probe into suspected international wildlife smuggling activities.“Investigations started early this year with intelligence corroborated by reports from the Wildlife Conservation Society of poaching activities along the border areas. “Our operations included probes by undercover officers, intensive patrols and inspections and information gathering. “These helped in the profiling of suspected perpetrators and their modus operandi,” Sani said. He said that although the main culprits had eluded arrest, the corporation was questioning the two men who were at the spot when the raiding party moved in. He said the corporation earlier identified a key suspect involved in the smuggling but when they went to the man’s house here, the forestry officials were told by the family that he had not been home for a long time. Sani said the state government would not allow itself to be used as a springboard for illicit trade of wild fauna and flora and would prosecute offenders under the law. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/5/24/nation/11029031 & sec=nation An assortment of 56 wildlife of Sarawak-Kalimantan border recovered KUALA LUMPUR. May 23. KAZINFORM. -- A Malaysian authority recovered 56 assortment of wildlife in a raid Monday at a secluded place along the Sarawak-Kalimantan border near Lubok Antu, in Sarawak, an east Malaysian state, Kazinform quotes Bernama. With the finding, the Sarawak State Forestry Department's Security and Asset Protection Unit (SAPU) believed they have smashed an international wildlife smuggling ring. The mastermind, however, managed to elude arrest, SAPU General Manager Sani Bakar said in a statement. Saying that the mastermind and his henchmen were elusive and that different strategies had to be applied to nab them, he said, SAPU managed to identify their exact location last night and raided the place Monday, seizing various animals. He said the animals were protected species under the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998 and listed in Appendix I, II and III of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, a multilateral environmental agreement of which Malaysia is one of the signatories. Sani said SAPU officers also recovered skeletal remains of a small primate suspected to be a baby Orang Utan. " A foreigner who was at the site with a local is being investigated, " he said. He said SAPU had been actively investigating activities of the syndicate since early this year. The syndicate's operations were an organised crime from both sides of the border, he said. Based on initial investigations, he said, the recovered wildlife were suspected to have been smuggled in from across the border. Specimens seized include spotted dove, lesser adjutant stock, white bellied fish eagle, laphura bulweri, crested firebacks and cervus unicolour. " There was also a large cage and an area for primates, especially Orang Utans, but it was empty, " he added. http://www.inform.kz/showarticle.php?lang=eng & id=124087 Michelle Desilets BOS UK www.savetheorangutan.org.uk www.savetheorangutan.info " Primates Helping Primates " Please sign our petition to rescue over 100 smuggled orangutans in Thailand: http://www.thePetitionSite.com/takeaction/822035733 _________ How much free photo storage do you get? Store your holiday snaps for FREE with Photos http://uk.photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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