KOTA KINABALU: A total of 4,000 live baby freshwater tortoises worth nearly RM1mil and tightly packed in containers were seized at Tawau’s Sungai Haji Kuning rivermouth.
Marine police arrested an Indonesian boatman to facilitate investigations into the case.
A marine police boat carrying out patrols under Ops Gelora intercepted the boat which was heading towards Tawau at about 10.00am on Tuesday, Tawau Marine Police commanding officer Deputy Supt Mohd Nazari Ismail said.
Marine policemen searched the boat and found the baby tortoises in 39 small containers that were kept in two boxes after opening three bags on the boat, he added.
The freshwater baby tortoises were smuggled into Tawau to be taken to Semporna about 100kms away, said DSP Nazari.
The boatman admitted he was paid RM50 to deliver the three bags from Sungai Haji Kuning to some one in Tawau but claimed he did know what was inside the bags when quizzed by the marine police.
“The boatman and the seized baby tortoises will be referred to the Wildlife Department Tawau office for probe under Section 41(2) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997,” said DSP Nazari.
He said the success was the first wildlife case recorded by Tawau marine police this year, adding that, they would continue to step up operations to curb crimes and other illegal activities in Tawau waters.
Shell out: Some of the live baby turtles that were smuggled into Tawau, which were intercepted by marine police.
Marine police arrested an Indonesian boatman to facilitate investigations into the case.
A marine police boat carrying out patrols under Ops Gelora intercepted the boat which was heading towards Tawau at about 10.00am on Tuesday, Tawau Marine Police commanding officer Deputy Supt Mohd Nazari Ismail said.
Marine policemen searched the boat and found the baby tortoises in 39 small containers that were kept in two boxes after opening three bags on the boat, he added.
The freshwater baby tortoises were smuggled into Tawau to be taken to Semporna about 100kms away, said DSP Nazari.
The boatman admitted he was paid RM50 to deliver the three bags from Sungai Haji Kuning to some one in Tawau but claimed he did know what was inside the bags when quizzed by the marine police.
“The boatman and the seized baby tortoises will be referred to the Wildlife Department Tawau office for probe under Section 41(2) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997,” said DSP Nazari.
He said the success was the first wildlife case recorded by Tawau marine police this year, adding that, they would continue to step up operations to curb crimes and other illegal activities in Tawau waters.
Shell out: Some of the live baby turtles that were smuggled into Tawau, which were intercepted by marine police.
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