Perhilitan seizes protected birds worth RM50,000

Perhilitan officers tagging the seized birds.

ALOR SETAR: The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) seized nine protected birds worth more than RM50,000 in Jitra on on Wednesday.

Kedah Perhilitan director Mohamad Hafid Rohani said the birds were seized from a house occupied by a 22-year-old man at Jalan Tanjong Pauh,Jitra which is also a motorcycle workshop.

“The raid was carried out based on information obtained from social media and a week of intelligence gathering and observation.

“Investigation showed that the man sold the birds online,” he said on Thursday.

The birds seized included a Burung Murai Batu, Burung Punai Daun (both protected species), Burung Lang Sewah (Elanus caeruleus), Burung Daun, Burung Merbah Luris Leher, three Burung Ayam-Ayam and a Burung Sintar (all totally protected species.)

The man would sell the birds between RM2,000 and RM8,000 each to interested parties.

“All the birds are local birds which can be trapped from forests in Kedah,” Hafid said.