KUALA LUMPUR: International conservation group TRAFFIC today hailed the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) for successfully thwarting the smuggling attempt of 17 endangered radiated tortoises from Madagascar.
"The continued demand for a critically endangered species like the radiated tortoises is concerning," Kanitha Krishnasamy, Director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia told NST.
"Just on Dec 20, in a separate case, the Kajang Sessions Court fined a Malaysian man RM50,000 for illegally possessing six of these radiated tortoises."
Perhilitan Director-General Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim in a statement said acting on intelligence, on Dec 26, 2024, at approximately 10.30pm, Perhilitan prevented a wildlife smuggling attempt.
Authorities conducted a detailed inspection of a shipment from Ethiopian Airlines at Pos Aviation Cargo, located in the Free Commercial Zone (FCZ) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), he said.
Abdul Kadir said as a result of this inspection, they seized 17 suspected radiated tortoises, smuggled inside one of two cardboard boxes declared as containing live plants.
The tortoises were smuggled from Madagascar to Malaysia, he said.
With their star-patterned shells, radiated tortoises are among the world's most beautiful tortoise species.
Native to and found mostly in southern Madagascar, radiated tortoises are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Their population is steadily declining due to habitat loss, deforestation, and the illegal pet trade.
Kanitha also said Malaysia is no stranger to the trafficking of Malagasy tortoises, including a massive seizure in KLIA in 2017 of 325 radiated tortoises.
"In past years, radiated tortoises have also been seized overseas linked to Malaysia or involving Malaysian nationals," she said.
"So congratulations to authorities for maintaining vigilance on this smuggling route and species, and for collaborating with Pos Aviation."