SIBU: Some 160 wildlife including various species of lizards, iguanas, baby crocodiles, turtles, tortoises, pythons and animal parts have been seized from premises here.
The species are those protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), in a media statement on Thursday, said the seizure was conducted by its enforcement team from the region here.
Earlier on Jan 22, SFC said its enforcement team here had also successfully seized over 100 animal parts such as horns, skulls, tooth, fangs, casques and fur from a handicraft shop in a raid conducted at 3.30pm.
“Our enforcement team made a spot check at the premises and discovered protected animal parts and products. All the items were confiscated for further investigation.
“On the same day at 4.30pm, our enforcement team raided another premises in Sibu and rescued one lizard, six iguanas and one soft shell turtle, which are also protected under CITES,” said SFC chief executive officer Zolkipli Mohamad Aton.
He said owners of all three premises failed to produce permits issued by the Controller of Wild Life that permitted them to keep the wildlife.
The three successful raids were following the one conducted during Ops Bersepadu Khazanah (OBK) in Sibuti recently.
“This is our commitment to strengthen efforts to address illegal wildlife trade and tackle wildlife crime.
“We will continue to take actions to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna in Sarawak,” he added.
All three cases will be investigated under the Wild Life Protection Ordinance, 1998.
Zolkipli extended his gratitude to members of the public who had assisted SFC in curtailing illegal wildlife trading in the state.
He said members of the public could lodge a report with SFC should they find anyone keeping or selling totally and protected animals.
SFC hotlines are reachable at 016-8565564/019-8859996 (Kuching), 019-8883561 (Sibu), 019-8223449/019-8332737 (Bintulu) and 019-8290994/018-9799778 (Miri).
