Perhilitan arrested 12 men and confiscated animal parts worth RM2 million in a special operation called “Ops Chameleon”.
“This is a significant bust by the authorities, and they (Perhilitan) must be congratulated.
“The fact that ivory was found stocked in three separate premises is very worrying and suggests the existence of local ivory buyers and suppliers,” Traffic senior programme manager Kanitha Krishnasamy said.
In a press statement, Perhilitan Director-General Abdul Kadir Abu Hassan had said the 300 animal parts seized from the illegal syndicate included elephant tusks, tiger skins and teeth, bear claws, and beaks of various hornbill species.
The arrested men were eight Vietnamese, two China nationals, and two locals.
“Based on the intelligence sharing with Interpol, Wildlife Justice Commission, and Perhilitan since early this year, our teams raided five locations around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor,” Abdul Kadir said.
He said the origin countries of the confiscated animal parts and the syndicate’s modus operandi had yet to be confirmed.
Kanitha said it was shocking that one of the arrested suspects was a repeat offender who had been nabbed for ivory possession in the past.
“For criminals like this, nothing sends a stronger message than a stiff jail sentence.”
The suspects are currently being probed under Section 68 of the Wild Life Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) which carries a maximum punishment of RM500,000 or a jail term of not more than five years.