- Title: Malaysia seizes nearly $1 million in trafficked wildlife at airport
- Date: 2nd August 2017
- Summary: SEPANG, MALAYSIA (AUGUST 2, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SACKS CONTAIN PANGOLIN SCALES ON DISPLAY PANGOLIN SCALES AND IVORY DISPLAYED ON TABLE VARIOUS OF PANGOLIN SCALES AND IVORY ON DISPLAY MALAYSIA CUSTOMS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR GENERAL IN CHARGE OF ENFORCEMENT MOHD PUDZI MAN (C) SITTING PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PHOTOS CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Malaysia) MALAYSIA CUSTOMS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR GENERAL IN CHARGE OF ENFORCEMENT MOHD PUDZI MAN, SAYING: "It came on a Etihad Airways flight from Lagos via Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur was the final destination. The two boxes were labelled as "food stuff". Our checks found that the company listed as recipient did not exist. When we opened the boxes we found 23 ivory tusks weighing about 75.74 kilograms, valued at 275,000 ringgit ($64,162)." MOHD PUDZI MAN SITTING DURING NEWS CONFERENCE/NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING REPORTERS LISTENING TO NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTER TAKING VIDEO WITH SMARTPHONE (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Malaysia) MALAYSIA CUSTOMS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR GENERAL IN CHARGE OF ENFORCEMENT MOHD PUDZI MAN, SAYING: "The sacks on its airway bill were listed as "fish maw". It came on Ethiopian Airlines from Democratic Republic of Congo to KLIA. When we opened the packages we found 300.90 kilograms of pangolin scales, valued at 3,863,000 ringgit ($909,939)." NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING REPORTER LISTENING TO NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTER TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Malaysia) MALAYSIA CUSTOMS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR GENERAL IN CHARGE OF ENFORCEMENT MOHD PUDZI MAN, SAYING: "(We don't have proof but) I believe that they (trafficking syndicates) exploit our systems and procedures in these smuggling activities. We will engage all the stakeholders at KLIA to help monitor checks and screening along the assembly lines so that they can stop (trafficker) smuggling activities and and stop them making our country their hub." CAMERAMAN FILMING END OF NEWS CONFERENCE MOHD PUDZI MAN (C) AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS HOLDING PANGOLIN SCALES/ POSING FOR PHOTOS OFFICERS HOLDING PANGOLIN SCALES PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PHOTOS MOHD PUDZI MAN (C) AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS HOLDING IVORY TUSK/POSING FOR PHOTOS MOHD PUDZI MAN AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS LOOKING AT IVORY TUSKS DISPLAY ON TABLE
- Embargoed: 16th August 2017 05:24
- Keywords: Wildlife airport illegal traffic customs
- Location: SEPANG, MALAYSIA
- City: SEPANG, MALAYSIA
- Country: Malaysia
- Topics: Environment,Nature/Wildlife
- Reuters ID: LVA0016SGQZ45
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Malaysian authorities seized nearly $1 million worth of trafficked ivory tusks and pangolin scales over the weekend, the latest in a series of seizures in Asia of products made from endangered animals, airport officials said on Wednesday (August 2).
Malaysia has been singled out by conservationists as a major transit point for the illegal trafficking of endangered wildlife to other Asian countries. Last month, Hong Kong seized over 7,200 kilogrammes (kg) of ivory tusks shipped from Malaysia, the largest single seizure in 30 years.
Officials discovered 23 ivory tusks, weighing about 76 kg, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) cargo warehouse on Sunday (July 30) afternoon.
The tusks, valued at about 275,000 ringgit ($64,162.39), had been shipped on an Etihad Airways flight from Lagos via Abu Dhabi.
Later that day, six sacks containing 300.9 kg of pangolin scales, worth 3.9 million ringgit ($909,939.34), were found in the same cargo warehouse. The scales were shipped from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Ethiopian Airways.
Both shipments were sent to fake addresses and their recipients could not be traced, Malaysia Customs Assistant Director General Mohammad Pudzi Man said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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