KOTA KINABALU: Exotic meats, a live monkey and a pangolin were confiscated from an elderly man in Tawau, believed to be involved in selling them to tourists in Semporna, on Thursday (June 11).
In this raid conducted by the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Kunak division General Operations Force (GOF), the man was found storing the meat in a freezer at Kg Kalumpang, Tawau-Semporna road.
Sabah Wildlife Department director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar said they found the meat of deer, mousedeer and porcupine in the freezer, while the live monkey and pangolin were kept in a cage and a pail.
He said the suspect, 86, was brought in to facilitate probes under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 for possessing wildlife and wildlife products without permits.
If convicted, the man could be fined between RM50,000 and RM250,000 and jailed between one year and five years.
Mohd Soffian said the initial investigation found that the man could be involved in selling wildlife meat to tourists in Semporna.
He reminded the public that possessing any protected wildlife or any parts of these species is a serious offence.
He urged the public to report any such incidents to the authorities if they know of such matters immediately.
