BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Penang Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) detained a Bangladeshi national for allegedly keeping 100 turtles and softshell turtles without a licence during a raid on a house in Bagan Lalang, Butterworth, last Sunday (Jan 4).
State Perhilitan director Mohd Zaide Mohamed Zin said the raid, conducted at 4.45pm, was carried out jointly with the police following intelligence and information received over the past two weeks.
He said the raid uncovered 94 turtles comprising the species of Malayan box, Black Marsh, Chinese striped-necked and red-eared slider turtles, as well as six Asian softshell turtles, which were kept in several plastic containers, with the total value estimated at RM20,000.
"The house is located in a village area, and the suspect was present at the premises during the raid. Based on investigations, all the animals are believed to have been caught from rivers around the state and possibly also purchased from other individuals.
"So far, we have yet to ascertain how long the suspect has been involved in this activity, but to accumulate as many as 100 animals would likely have taken a long time, possibly one to two years,” he told a press conference at the Seberang Perai District Perhilitan Office here on Tuesday (Jan 6).
Mohd Zaide said investigations also indicated that all the turtles and softshell turtles were intended to be sold to places of worship for religious rituals, with prices ranging from RM20 to RM200 per animal, depending on size.
He said the 45-year-old suspect possessed valid travel documents and had been remanded for four days to facilitate further investigations.
According to him, the seized animals would be released back into their natural habitat after a disposal order is obtained from the court, while non-native species would be temporarily placed at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Sungkai, Perak, for quarantine purposes.
He said turtles and softshell turtles are protected species, and therefore any individual intending to keep or possess such exotic animals must obtain a licence from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.
Action will be taken under Section 60(1)(a) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) against any party found to violate the law, he added. — Bernama
