Malaysia arrests Indian national caught with 2,500 turtles at airport
Malaysia 's border agency said on Thursday, in another case highlighting criminals using the country's key international gateway as a transit point for illegal wildlife trade.
The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has made headlines in recent months due to incidents of individuals smuggling endangered primates and rare reptiles, including tortoises and iguanas.
The suspect was scheduled to board a plane at the airport to Bengaluru,
India , at 10.05pm on Tuesday when he was caught by security before boarding, the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) said.
'Further inspection found thousands of red-eared slider turtles hidden in the luggage,' said AKPS, adding the haul was worth around US$82,000.
Native to North America, the red-eared slider is classified as an invasive species in many countries, including India, where it poses a major threat to native aquatic biodiversity.
The incident marked a rare wildlife smuggling case that was foiled at KLIA before a flight departure, in contrast with previous cases, which were only discovered after the smugglers had left the airport and reached their destinations.
UK-based wildlife trade watchdog Traffic previously reported that the rampant wildlife trafficking through KLIA was driven by demand for exotic species as pets.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Pandas and table tennis: China's national icons fall victim to toxic fan culture
Pandas and table tennis are two of China's most beloved national symbols, but the behaviour of some of their admirers has prompted concerns about extreme online fandom. Advertisement In a rare open letter issued last month, the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in the southwestern province of Sichuan condemned what it called toxic fan culture and online abuse targeting panda keepers. 'Recently, it has been deeply disheartening to see certain individuals inciting and manipulating public opinion – both domestically and abroad – to smear China's 'friendship ambassadors', the giant pandas, while relentlessly cyberbullying frontline panda caretakers,' it said. It warned that extreme behaviours, including cyberbullying , would undermine China's decades of professional panda conservation efforts. 'This work calls for real commitment, not emotional outbursts or fan frenzy. While public oversight is welcomed, we firmly oppose extreme or illegal acts carried out in the name of 'love'.' Advertisement In June, a court in Sichuan convicted two people of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble' for falsely claiming that researchers had abused giant pandas, and for inciting online harassment against research institutes and staff.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong slams ‘false and biased' G7 criticism of latest bounties on activists
Hong Kong has strongly opposed and disapproved of 'false and biased' remarks by the G7 regarding the city's latest round of bounties and arrest warrants on overseas activists. Advertisement A government spokesman said on Saturday that those 'fugitives hiding abroad are wanted and have arrest warrants issued by the courts, not because they 'exercise freedom of expression', but because they continue to engage in activities endangering national security there blatantly'. The G7 on Friday condemned the new HK$200,000 (US$25,640) bounties placed by city authorities on 15 overseas activists for their involvement in the 'Hong Kong Parliament' group, which police deem subversive and accuse of violating the Beijing-imposed security law. The G7 calls Hong Kong's move to place fresh bounties on overseas activists a 'form of transnational repression'. The G7 statement was issued by its Rapid Response Mechanism unit, set up in 2018 to fight threats to democracy, such as foreign interference. In addition to members of the Group of Seven – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States – the European Union and RRM associate members Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Sweden endorsed the message. 'The authorities issued arrest warrants and bounties on individuals outside Hong Kong's borders, including in G7 RRM countries, for exercising their freedom of expression,' the unit said. 'This form of transnational repression undermines national security, state sovereignty, human rights, and the safety of communities.' Advertisement The Hong Kong government said fugitives should not believe they could escape consequences by fleeing the city, stressing that it had the responsibility to pursue those suspected of committing crimes endangering national security outside of Hong Kong. 'Ultimately, they will be held accountable for their serious criminal acts that endanger national security and face legal sanctions,' the spokesman said.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong must be ‘very careful' before banning lawyers from meeting clients in jail
Hong Kong authorities should be 'very careful' before they resort to banning certain lawyers from meeting their clients in custody under revised prison rules, the head of the city's Bar Association has said. In an interview with the Post, senior counsel Jose-Antonio Maurellet added that some members of the professional body had also expressed concerns over the revised prison rules, which will tighten visiting criteria for specific lawyers. At the centre of contention is an amendment which allows correctional authorities to apply for a court warrant to ban a particular legal representative from meeting an inmate on the grounds that such connections may endanger national security, inflict bodily harm or pervert the course of justice. Similar provisions are applied to medical professionals and religious personnel. Maurellet expressed confidence that the court would serve in its gatekeeping role in issuing such warrants. But he questioned the argument made by authorities and some supporters of the amendment that a prisoner's right to legal advice and choice of lawyers would not be undermined by the rule changes, as the defendant could still consult other legal representatives. Maurellet warned that having to switch lawyers would not only be undesirable to a defendant going through protracted criminal proceedings, but could also be disruptive to the help the court was receiving. 'In serious cases, it's in the interest of everybody, both the prosecution and the defence, that not only is there a fair trial, but the matter moves on as expeditiously as possible,' he said. 'So we certainly hope and believe that the government will be very careful before such steps are taken.'
