KUALA LUMPUR: The state Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has crippled an international syndicate involved in the smuggling of turtles.
More than 300 turtles, many on the protected list and worth over RM3 million, were smuggled from abroad.
Its Director-General Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said the syndicate was brought down through intelligence efforts by the police in an operation dubbed 'Operasi Bersepadu Khazanah' (OBK).
The authorities had been on the trail of the syndicate for some time.
The syndicate, led by several Malaysians, known as "Geng Ninja Turtle", raked in millions of ringgit by selling various species of protected turtles in the black market.
Each turtle could be sold for between RM2,000 and RM13,000 depending on the difficulty of acquiring the species, its physical patterns and its size.
"During the 1am operation last Saturday, a team from Perhilitan's Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) officers led by Celescoriano Razond and members of the General Operations Force conducted a raid at a premises in Taman Subang Mewah, Selangor.
"The Perhilitan and GOF team found a man getting into a four-wheel drive vehicle.
"The man, who attempted to speed off, drove dangerously until the vehicle skidded and crashed into an electric pole," he said.
He added that the driver, in his 40s, was detained. He led the officers to a nearby premises.
The team was met by a woman who claimed she was in charge of caring for the turtles on the premises.
"An inspection revealed it was used as a base to store hundreds of turtles smuggled from abroad.
"A further inspection found 361 smuggled turtles, including species such as the Three-Keeled Land Tortoise and Indian Star Tortoise, stored at the site."
He said the tortoises were smuggled from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
"All the turtles, stored in boxes, were believed to be intended for sale in the country. The suspect, when questioned, failed to present a licence or permit from Perhilitan for keeping the wildlife.
"All the turtles and the vehicle, estimated to be worth RM3.8 million, were seized," he said.
Kadir added that the suspect was being investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 [Act 716] and the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008 [Act 686].
It is learnt that the suspect had networks and connections with other international wildlife smuggling syndicates and had been under Perhilitan's surveillance.
"We believe there are other members of the syndicate involved in this illegal activity.
"The turtle seizure is the largest such seizure by Perhilitan since January."