Customs seizes 288kg of pangolin scales worth RM3.8mil

SEPANG: The Customs Department has seized a 288kg shipment of pangolin scales worth RM3.68mil bound for a fake address in Ampang.

Customs assistant director-general (enforcement) Datuk Paddy Abd Halim said the seizure was made last Friday at an air cargo warehouse at the KLIA Free Trade Zone.

"The consignment came in from Ghana and was marked as oyster shells on the air waybill," he said.

He also said the department is investigating whether the scales were destined for the local or international market.

The scales will be handed over to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) for further action.

He said this was the third shipment of pangolin scales intercepted this year.

Last month, the department seized 712kg of pangolin scales worth RM9.18mil in shipments from Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The import of pangolin scales without a permit is illegal and offenders face a maximum fine of up to 20 times the value of the seized items, jail time not exceeding three years or both.

Pangolin scales are often used in traditional medicine and are believed to be a cure for illnesses such as malaria.