Some 12,000 turtles killed for exotic meat, say police

Illegal catch: Comm Jauteh showing reporters photos of the items seized by Marine Police at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu.

KOTA KINABALU: A staggering 9,000kg of dried meat from 12,000 illegally harvested turtles have been seized by marine police from a trawler in waters off Sabah’s northern Pulau Banggi.

Describing it as the biggest marine police seizure this year, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the value of the dried turtle meat along with other endangered marine species were worth about RM4.5mil.