Ministry to enhance enforcement against wildlife trade in KLIA

Stepping up: Nik Nazmi (centre) after reviewing wildlife enforcement activities at KLIA2 for further action. — Photo courtesy of Ministry’s Communications Unit

PUTRAJAYA: The Natural Res­our­ces and Environmental Sustai­nability Ministry (NRES), through the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), will take proactive measures to combat wildlife trade, including stepping up enforcement at the country’s entry points.

Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said efforts to manage and protect wildlife include planning, coordinating and monitoring enforcement management at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to ensure that inspections and control over import, export and re-export activities comply with regulations.

“Routine inspections of consign­ments and wildlife enforcement operations are also carried out at the KLIA Free Trade Zone to ensure that all wildlife-rela­­ted import, export or re-export activities comply with the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 and the International Trade in Endanger­ed Species Act 2008,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Nik Nazmi added that Malaysia has become a transit hub for smuggling high-value wildlife items such as elephant ivory, rhino horns and exotic reptiles, Bernama reported.

Data from Indian authorities on wildlife seizures involving flights from KLIA Terminal 1 and Ter­mi­nal 2 showed eight recorded cases in 2023 and 12 in 2024.

On March 7, Nik Nazmi visited KLIA Terminal 2 to inspect wildlife trade enforcement activities and observed a wildlife detection simulation using Perhilitan sniffer dogs.

He also received a briefing from Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) on the baggage screening system at the airport.

“Ongoing enforcement efforts include collaboration with various agencies such as the police, the Customs Department and the Immi­gration Department under the Integrated Khazanah Opera­tion (OBK),” he said.

Launched in September 2019, the OBK conducts scheduled ope­rations in wildlife crime hotspots, including border points at KLIA and other land, air and seaport entry points.

Nik Nazmi stressed that KLIA is one of the country’s high-risk entry points for wildlife smuggling, underscoring the crucial role of enforcement agencies and MAHB in effectively curbing such activities.