KUALA LUMPUR: A Middle Eastern syndicate involving Yemeni and Syrian nationals has been detected infiltrating Malaysia to hunt for agarwood and protected wildlife.
This wildlife crime operation was uncovered following an investigation by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan).
Perhilitan director-general, Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, said that this success was achieved through the Khazanah Integrated Operation, which involved six officers from Perhilitan's Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU), 10 members of the General Operations Force (PGA), and 12 staff from the Selangor State Forestry Department.
"The operation and raid involved three premises in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, beginning at 9pm on Monday.
"In the first raid on a residence in Kampung Paya Jaras, we detained four men, comprising two locals and two foreign nationals from Syria and Yemen.
"A search uncovered a sack of wood dust, seven plastic bags containing agarwood blocks, two sharpeners, weighing scales, and a multipurpose vehicle," he said.
The second raid was carried out on a premises in Kampung Paya Jaras, where a man in his 50s was arrested.
"A search at this residence led to the discovery of two agarwood blocks, a sharpening stone, three chainsaws, and 10 sharpeners.
"The next raid was conducted at a house in Kampung Kubu Gajah here, where a Cambodian woman was detained.
"Further inspection of this residence uncovered three sacks of wood dust, six agarwood blocks, a sack of small agarwood pieces, and two axes," he added.
Kadir said that Perhilitan officers conducting the search also found a plastic basket containing pangolin scales, a container with wildlife bones, porcupine stones, and other wildlife parts.
"We also found various animal parts, including two boar tusks, 15 wild boar tusks, and more wildlife bones, all packaged in plastic. All of these are believed to have been illegally hunted by the syndicate engaged in agarwood poaching in our forests.
"The perpetrators are believed to profit from the illegal sale of agarwood as well as protected wildlife parts as trophies for the black market," he said.
The seized agarwood is estimated to be worth more than RM460,000, while the confiscated wildlife parts are valued at nearly RM300,000.
"All suspects detained have been taken to the Section 9 Police Station in Shah Alam for further investigation," he said.