Three illegal immigrants jailed for smuggling 19,000 green turtle eggs

Turtle eggs.

SANDAKAN: Three illegal immigrants were slapped with jail terms and hefty fines by the Sessions Court here Wednesday with possessing 19,000 endangered green turtle eggs.

The three Filipinos - Pikong Ismail, 23, Totoh Susuk, 35, and Impang Utuk, 45, - pleaded guilty to the possession of turtle eggs under Section 41(1) of the Wildlife Conservation Ordinance 1997 before Sessions Court judge Ummu Kalthom Abdul Samad.

Sabah Wildlife Department prosecutor Abdul Karim Dakog told the court that the three were arrested by marine police separately while attempting to smuggle in the turtle eggs in a pump boat via Sungai Batu 2 here between July 16 and July 17.

Pikong, who had 3,000 turtle eggs, was sentenced to two years jail and fined RM10,000 in default six months jail.

Totoh, who was caught with 11,000 turtle eggs, was slapped with four years jail and fined RM25,000 in default 12 months jail.

Impang, who was in possession of 5,000 turtle eggs, was sentenced to three years jail and fined RM15,000 or six months jail.

The judge ordered that the eggs be destroyed and the three boats to be forfeited.

All three are currently serving a six-month jail term after a magistrate’s court on July 24 found them guilty for illegally entering Sabah.