TUESDAY was an embarrassing day for our airport authorities.
On that day, two Indian nationals managed to get past them at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with 5,193 live red-eared slider turtles in their luggage, all packed in cardboard boxes!
The pair of wildlife smugglers were taking an IndiGo Airline flight to Chennai International Airport, where they planned to hand over the turtles to two others involved in illegal wildlife trade, reported The New Indian Express news portal, quoting the country's Air Intelligence Unit's official release.
All four were arrested based on a tip-off. The turtles were put on a flight back to Malaysia on the same day. We have to say, the Indian Customs succeeded where our airport authorities failed.
Malaysia's reputation mustn't be soiled like this. There may be a few reasons why the pair of smugglers got through the KLIA checkpoint with ease, but one is puzzling to the extreme.
There appears to be no clear delineation as to whose role it is to detect and stop wildlife smugglers from slipping past airport checkpoints.
The Customs Department thinks it is the job of Malaysia Airports.
But the Malaysia Airports website says its task is to prevent only weapons, explosives and the like from being taken onto a plane by screening for them through an automated baggage screening system.
One wonders if the automated baggage system is only able to detect weapons and not wildlife. It will be a most curious system if it does so.
But Malaysia Airports does say that it works with airlines and other agencies to address the issue of wildlife smuggling. This is not the same as saying it is its job. So whose job is it?
To Malaysia Airports, it is the job of the Customs Department and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), or the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services. Talk about grey areas.
Wildlife smugglers are no fools. They study the weaknesses of Malaysian authorities with a view of turning them into opportunities. Grey areas of responsibility are one.
This could be the reason why none of the Malaysian agencies stationed at the airport were able to detect and arrest the pair of smugglers from Chennai, who escaped undetected only to be caught by Indian Customs.
Even if it is not their job, shouldn't they be sharing their information with others? The lack of proper delineation of responsibilities cannot be overlooked. Tuesday's story of the smuggled red-eared slider turtles and many others that went before tells us that wildlife criminal gangs are exploiting the lack of jurisdiction clarity to their advantage.
This lack of clarity is also enabling them to smuggle wildlife into the country with ease. The red-eared slider turtles — listed as one of the most invasive species in the world — are not native to Malaysia, but to the United States and Mexico. So how did they get into Malaysia?
Again, the lack of clarity on the roles of port and airport authorities.
And we have not even talked about negligent and corrupt officers. It is time all the agencies manning our checkpoints and borders to get their act together. Passing the buck would only harm the country.