Three teenagers sentenced to two years’ jail for possessing turtle parts

KOTA KINABALU: Three Filipino teenagers were sentenced to two years’ jail and fined RM60,000 each for possessing protected turtles and turtle parts in Tawau.

The trio will have to spend another year in prison if they fail to pay the fine after their case was heard at the Sessions Court in Tawau on Monday (Feb 18).

Sessions court judge Awang Krisnada Awang Mahmud handed the sentence on 18-year-old Kismaru Rismaru and 19-year-old Butlayan Tabiyanan and Abdul Gahni Awan, after they pleaded guilty to the charges.

The teens were arrested at about 4.26am on Feb 6 for possessing body parts of the green turtle - a protected species - near Pulau Ligitan in Semporna district.

According to the charge under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, they could have faced a jail term of up to five years and fined up to RM250,000 for their offences.

In handing down the sentence, Awang Krisnada said that he hopes it would serve as a lesson to the trio and deter others from committing the same offence.

“They claimed that they were not aware of these offences, but so many cases have been heard and reported in the media,” he said.

The prosecution was conducted by Wildlife Department officer Silvester Saimin, while the three accused were not represented.