Nabbed for selling protected birds

ALOR SETAR: A motorcycle workshop mechanic who sold protected birds via the Internet and social media platforms such as Facebook has been arrested.

The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) nabbed the 22-year-old man in a raid at his house-cum-motorcycle workshop in Jitra.

“The raid was carried out based on information obtained from social media, and a week of intelligence gathering and observation,” Kedah Perhilitan director Mohamad Hafid Rohani told a press confe­rence yesterday at the state Perhi­li­tan’s terrapin conservation centre in Bukit Pinang near here.

He said the raiding party seized two protected birds and seven totally protected birds worth a total of RM50,000 from the premises in the 4pm bust on Wednesday.

The protected birds were a White-rumped Shama and Little Green Pigeon while the seven totally protected birds were a Black-shoulder­ed Kite, a Blue-winged Leafbird, a Striped-throated Bulbul, a Slaty-breasted Rail and three Watercock.

Mohamad Hafid said the department’s investigation revealed that the suspect had advertised the birds for sale on a popular online classifieds website as well as Facebook and WhatsApp besides direct face-to-face sale.

He said the Facebook pages created for the sale were only active for less than a day.

The suspect, currently under remand for four days, had been running the business for about six months and caught the birds himself in local forests, he added.

“He sells the birds for between RM2,000 and RM8,000 each,” said Mohamad Hafid, adding that it had yet to be ascertained how many birds the suspect had sold so far.

He said Perhilitan believed the suspect was part of a group involved in selling protected wildlife and was looking for his accomplices.

Mohamad Hafid said the case would be investigated under Section 68 of the Wildlife Conserva­tion Act 2010 for hunting totally protected wildlife without special permit, which carries a maximum RM100,000 fine or maximum three-year jail term or both.

“He will also be investigated under Section 60 of the same Act for hunting protected wildlife without a licence, which carries a maximum RM50,000 fine or maximum two-year jail term or both,” he added.