Two Filipinos fined and jailed for killing endangered turtles in Semporna

The two Filipinos Tambisan Pagal, 52 and Tambulang Tambisan, 38 were slapped with three years jail and fined RM100,000 for poaching endangered green turtles in waters off Semporna.

KOTA KINABALU: Two Filipinos were slapped with three years’ jail and fined RM100,000 each by the Tawau Sessions Court on Monday (Oct 29) for hunting and killing critically endangered green turtles in Semporna waters.

The two - Tambisan Pagal, 52 and Tambulang Tambisan, 38 - from the neighbouring southern Philippines’s Sitangkai Island – were ordered by Sessions Court judge Awang Kerisnada Mahmud to serve another year’s jail if they failed to pay the fine.

Both accused pleaded guilty to the offence framed under Section 41(1) of the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for possession of endangered and protected wildlife meat in waters off Kg Labuan Haji in Pulau Bum Bum, Semporna at about 4.30am on Oct 14.

Sabah Wildlife Department prosecuting officer Karim Dakog earlier told the court that the two were caught in a pump boat and arrested by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency personnel patrolling the area.

They recovered 17.5kgs of meat and 4.5kgs of the protected Green turtle parts from the suspects, among other items.