
Man arrested for smuggling exotic animals out of KLIA Terminal 1
The man, 38, who was travelling to India, was arrested at 10pm after a team from the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia's (CAAM) Aviation Security Division discovered a pair of silvery langur, siamangs and armadillos each during an enforcement operation.
"Acting on a tip, two MCBA members and three AVSEC members conducted a further search on the baggage of a passenger after initial checks via a scanner machine showed suspicious images resembling wildlife inside.
"The search led to the discovery of six exotic animals," the AKPS said in a statement today, adding that the animals were seized and taken to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) for further action.
"The case is being investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 and the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008," it added.
– Bernama
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Focus Malaysia
an hour ago
- Focus Malaysia
Is KLIA 'counter setting' a symptom of deeper migrant exploitation?
THE recent detention of an enforcement officer at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 has renewed public scrutiny over a clandestine practice known as 'counter setting'. This tactic, where individuals are allowed to bypass formal immigration procedures, raises serious concerns not only regarding border security and official corruption but also about structural vulnerabilities in Malaysia's migration management, labour demands and institutional accountability. Last November, nearly 50 immigration officers were reassigned following investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) into a similar syndicate operating at KLIA. A senior immigration officer, believed to be the mastermind behind the network, is expected to face charges over a human trafficking ring that allegedly facilitated the unlawful entry of foreign nationals without immigration clearance. The act of 'counter-setting' which involves corruption at borders is a well-recognised enabler of both human trafficking and migrant smuggling. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) identifies bribery and abuse of power as systemic 'pull factors' that facilitate transnational crime. In this context, 'counter setting' is not just negligence, it is an institutional gateway for illicit entry under the guise of administrative authority. However, criminalising rogue officers should not automatically lead to the assumption that all individuals who passed through these compromised checkpoints are victims of trafficking or knowingly complicit in smuggling. Trafficking vs. smuggling Public discourse frequently conflates 'migration', 'trafficking' and 'smuggling' as either criminal or victimhood, obscuring nuanced legal distinctions. 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They are also subjected to long hours of work, meagre pay, and minimal legal protection. While exploitative, these conditions do not always rise to the legal threshold of trafficking unless all the trafficking elements are clearly present. Malaysia must move beyond reactive enforcement and address the systemic factors that enable counter setting and migration-related abuse. A rights-based and reform-oriented strategy should include stricter employer vetting procedures and meaningful penalties for labour exploitation as well as crackdowns on unlicensed and unscrupulous agents, including those operating under legal facades, among others. Conclusively, it is evident that the KLIA 'counter setting' scandal is not just about corrupt officers, it exposes systemic cracks in Malaysia's migration governance, labour recruitment processes, and institutional safeguards. 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