KUALA LUMPUR: Three men were held after 57 pangolins were recovered from a house in Bandar Pinggiran Subang in Shah Alam.
The house appears to be a transit point for the pangolins before it is smuggled out to a neighbouring country.
It was also revealed the pangolins may have been caught illegally in Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan.
Peninsular Malaysia Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said the three men will be detained further for investigations.
“During the raid launched by Perhilitan, the suspects had just finished unloading the pangolins from a vehicle to the premise,” he said in a statement.
Upon checking, the suspects had no special permit to keep the wildlife from the department.
“The vehicle used was also modified with an air conditioning system that is connected to the rear boot to ensure the animals don’t die,” Kadir added.
The case will be investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 for smuggling and possession of a protected species.
“We hope the public would continue to be our eyes and ears for such activities that could lead to the extinction of our wildlife heritage.”