Adam (second right) and MMEA officers showing the seized turtles.
KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an attempt to smuggle about 1,400 turtles out of the country in Pulau Gaya yesterday morning.
MMEA director First Admiral Adam Aziz said the incident happened when MMEA patrol vessel spotted a suspicious boat near Pulau Gaya around 3am.
“Our personnel spotted a boat heading for Pulau Mengalum from Anjung Selera in the dark.
“We immediately intercepted the suspicious boat and found six people, namely two local men and four foreigners without any documents, aged between 23 and 44.
“Further inspection by our men found about 1,400 turtles, including 200 dead turtles in several baskets,” he told a press conference at the MMEA office here yesterday.
Adam said based on initial investigation the turtles were believed collected from Kinarut and transported to Kota Kinabalu before being smuggled to Pulau Mengalum.
“The turtles will then be transferred to foreign fishing boats that were waiting at Pulau Mengalum before being marketed abroad as exotic food,” he said, adding that the confiscated turtles were worth RM42,000 as each turtle was sold at RM30 each.
“The case is being investigated under Section 41 (4) (B) Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 (Amendment 2016), four crew members who do not have identification documents will be investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 41 (4) (B) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 (Amendment 2016).
The four boatmen without documents would also be investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Adam added that the turtles would be handed to the to the Wildlife Department for further action.