Marine police foil smugglers, seize magpies worth nearly RM500k

KOTA TINGGI: Marine Police (PPM) nabbed three locals as they tried to smuggle almost half a million ringgit's worth of live birds to neighbouring countries on Wednesday (Feb 26).

Region II commander Asst Comm Abdul Rahman, in a press statement, said the marine police conducted a raid on two vehicles along Jalan Teluk Ramunia in Sungai Rengit at around 1.30am.

"Based on intel gathered, we intercepted the vehicles which were behaving suspiciously and found a total of 993 burung murai batu and burung murai kampung (two species of magpies) in multiple baskets.

"The value of the birds, which we suspect are to be smuggled to neighbouring countries, are estimated to be about RM487,160 in total," he said, adding that a Perodua Alza and Mazda van used to transport the birds was seized as well.

The three suspects, aged between 38 to 50, have been arrested and brought to the PPM Region II Headquarters.

The case is still under investigation and classified under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.