KOTA BARU: A red eagle worth RM20,000 was among the animals seized in a raid by the General Operations Force (GOF) South-East Brigade, together with the Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) Department, in Kampung Bunohan, Tumpat.
Brigade commander Senior Asst Comm Ahmad Radzi Hussain said that in the 3.15pm Sunday (June 28) raid, his party also arrested an 18-year-old suspect and seized several protected animals and cages worth a total of RM48,500.
"The raid on a house found a red eagle, four ruak-ruak birds (also known as the white-breasted waterhen), a burung hantu carik kafan (short-eared owl), two musang pandan (giant flying foxes), as well as five cages.
"The inspection found that the suspect failed to produce any valid licence or permit to keep the protected wildlife before being detained for further action," he said in a statement.
SAC Ahmad Radzi said the arrest and all the seized items were handed over to Kelantan Perhilitan for investigation under Section 60 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
He said initial investigations found that the suspect claimed the wildlife belonged to his father, who is currently in Gua Musang, while the teenager said he was only responsible for looking after the animals. – Bernama
