PETALING JAYA: Unscrupulous Malaysians have earned a sordid reputation in the unethical and illegal trade of poaching protected wildlife to cater to the high demand for exotic pets.
On Tuesday, a Malaysian teenager who allegedly tried to smuggle exotic reptiles out of Australia was charged in court for the offence. The 19-year-old suspect was slapped with one count of attempting to export a regulated native animal under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 at a Magistrate’s Court in Western Australia.