KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) intercepted a wildlife smuggling operation at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, seizing over 2,500 live turtles valued at RM348,000 from an Indian passenger attempting to board a flight to Bengaluru last night.
The suspect, who was scheduled to board a flight to Bengaluru, India, was detained at 10.05pm at the departure gate during a routine security operation.
Acting on intelligence information, enforcement officers from AKPS KLIA and Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel conducted a scan of the suspect’s luggage which revealed suspicious images.
Further inspection uncovered thousands of Red-eared Slider turtles hidden inside the baggage, with all the wildlife subsequently seized for further investigation.
This photograph shows bags and containers with live turtles seized from a wildlife smuggler. — AKPS pic
The case is now being investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 and the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008.
AKPS said the successful operation demonstrates the effectiveness of integrated inspections and close cooperation between it, KLIA, PERHILITAN, AVSEC, and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) in combating increasingly rampant wildlife smuggling activities.
