KOTA KINABALU: A box filled with protected turtle shells and scales was seized from a hidden storeroom of a premises in Semporna on Saturday (Nov 15).
The Op Bersepadu Khazanah raid also saw two suspects arrested by General Operations Force personnel and wildlife officers.
According to the General Operations Force Battalion 22 Facebook page, officers introduced themselves and conducted an inspection at the site.
They discovered a concealed storage area containing suspicious items, before finding
a box with 570 pieces of turtle shells and scales worth about RM14,240.
The items weighed over 17kg and are believed to be harvested through the illegal catching and killing of turtles; the species is protected and remains a target for syndicates and smugglers.
Both suspects arrested will be investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, while one of the two will also be probed for Immigration offences.
Such integrated operations will be conducted regularly to combat wildlife smuggling in Sabah, said the General Operations Force.
It added that efforts aim to protect the state’s biodiversity.
