Three men arrested for hunting without licences in Tawau

The woman allegedly locked her husband in their house for 29 hours and forced him to have sex with her, with the aim of obtaining "favourable evidence" for divorce procedures.PHOTO: ST FILE.

KOTA KINABALU: Three men were arrested for allegedly hunting without licences at an oil palm estate in Tawau.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said the men were arrested during a road block at about 5am Sunday.

“Initial investigations found the men in possession of three carcasses – a deer and two wild boars that were kept in the booth of their four wheel drive vehicle,” he said in a statement.

He said the men were not able to produce their hunting licence when required by the officials.

Also found on the men was a long barrel firearm and eight bullets, Augustine said.

The men face charges under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 and if found guilty, could be fined a maximum of RM50,000 and jailed up to three years.

Augustine explained that while deers and wild boars were not on the verge of extinction, the animals were listed as protected species in a bid to prevent over hunting.

“Those who wish to hunt must have a valid licence,” he said.

Deer and wild boar meat are among the much sought after animals especially among natives and exotic food lovers.

For decades, most of those who hunted were villagers who depend on the jungle and wild animals for food but the trend has changed with many venturing into hunting for commercial purposes.