State health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said Johor would strengthen law enforcement and enhance intelligence and monitoring in areas identified as high-risk to combat poaching and the wildlife trade.

He said authorities would urge the public to continue working with the government by reporting any information related to illegal hunting.

“The state government highly appreciates the cooperation of the Bukit Aman federal reserve unit and the Johor wildlife and national parks department through Op Khazanah Bersepadu, which led to the arrests of three men, aged 28 to 29, based on public information.

“The three suspects were arrested after the carcass of a Malayan tiger was found in a Perodua Alza in Felda Tenggaroh, Mersing, yesterday. The tiger sustained serious injuries believed to be from a trap, and there were six gunshot wounds to the head which were the cause of death,” he said in a statement today.

Ling said the authorities also seized several pieces of evidence with a total estimated value of RM294,007. The suspects have been remanded under Section 70(2) of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.