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New Straits Times
16-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Well-organised rings linked to illegal mineral mining, says Forestry Dept D-G
KOTA BARU: Illegal mineral mining activities in Peninsular Malaysia are increasingly sophisticated and may involve well-organised syndicates. This was revealed by Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department director-general Datuk Zahari Ibrahim. He said investigations into recent cases, particularly in Kelantan and Pahang, suggest the existence of structured operations, some of which likely operate under the control of syndicates. "Illegal mining on tenement land can occur either with or without syndicate involvement. However, several cases show clear signs of systematic operations, possibly coordinated by organised groups," he told the New Straits Times. He said syndicate-linked mining typically involves heavy machinery such as excavators and gold sluices, 4WD vehicles, motorcycles, generators, water pumps, welding machines, and the bulk use of fuel supplies, including oil storage drums. "There is also widespread use of foreign and local labour. We suspect the illegal miners are operating in hotspot areas that have approved mineral exploration licences, using these permits as a smokescreen to evade enforcement authorities. "These individuals exploit the gaps in monitoring by disguising their illegal activities under the guise of legitimate exploration," Zahari said. The department, he said, has adopted a multi-agency approach to combat illegal gold mining, especially in forest reserves. He added that among the measures implemented were satellite image monitoring to detect changes in forested areas, with intelligence processed through the department's War Room. Others are joint patrols and periodic monitoring of approved exploration sites with state-level enforcement agencies, including the police, the Minerals and Geoscience Department, the State Land and Mines Office, the Department of Environment and the Immigration Department. "We also deploy advanced surveillance tools such as drones and the SMART Forestry Patrol application and install road barriers to restrict access to Permanent Forest Reserves," he added. They have also set up permanent control checkpoints under the Integrated Khazanah Operations in critical areas. Zahari reaffirmed the department's commitment to tackling illegal mining, emphasising that collaboration across agencies was vital to protecting the nation's forest reserves and natural resources.
Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Straits Times
Malaysia sees spike in exotic animal smuggling cases
The smuggling of exotic wildlife from Malaysia to India is driven by several factors, such as demand in regions where wildlife is often kept as pets. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK PETALING JAYA - Economic hardship and growing online sale of wildlife through social media platforms are among key factors that have led to the increase in the smuggling of exotic animals in Malaysia . As a result, the country has inadvertently been used as a place of transit. Referring to several recent cases, Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the smuggling of exotic wildlife to India is driven by several factors, such as a demand in certain regions in the country where wildlife is often kept as pets. 'Malaysia is one of the countries with a supply of local and exotic wildlife that attracts smugglers (main players) in India,' he told The Star. 'Intelligence findings indicate that most exotic wildlife species are smuggled in from neighbouring countries and temporarily transited through Malaysia before being sent to destination countries such as India, Vietnam and others.' According to Mr Nik Nazmi, another major reason was economic hardship, which has led some individuals to act as smuggling mules. 'They are enticed by rewards such as cash or travel incentives to carry wildlife in or out of the country via checked luggage,' he said. 'The smuggling activities are also rampant due to the growing online sale of wildlife through social media platforms.' The minister said that wildlife commonly smuggled into India include the red-eared slider turtle, the green iguana (American iguana), the African spurred tortoise and the green tree python. He added that primates such as the Siamang, white-handed gibbon and agile gibbon and birds such as the Bali myna are also popular among smugglers. To address the rising number of smuggling cases to India, Mr Nik Nazmi said Malaysia's Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) is working in collaboration with the police's Wildlife Crime Bureau (WCB) and Interpol. 'The police are currently conducting further investigations and uncovering wildlife smuggling activities abroad, based on recent arrest cases involving foreign nationals, particularly from India,' he added. 'The WCB and Interpol have also launched further investigations with assistance from the Indian authorities to uncover the smuggling crime network.' To curb smuggling activities as a whole, Mr Nik Nazmi said Perhilitan is working with Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB) and the Customs Department to combat smuggling activities at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Other measures undertaken are the implementation of the Integrated Khazanah Operations involving multiple enforcement agencies such as the Customs Department and the aviation security division (Avsec) of Malaysia Airport Holdings. 'There are wildlife inspection and enforcement operations conducted on passenger baggage and items entering or exiting through international departure or arrival gates at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of KLIA,' he said. 'This is done in compliance with the provisions of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) and the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008 (Act 686), alongside Avsec.' Mr Nik Nazmi added that joint operations by Perhilitan's K9 detection unit, particularly at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of KLIA and the KLIA Cargo area, are also conducted. 'Currently, the department has four detection dogs - two Belgian Malinois, one Labrador and one Dutch Shepherd,' he said. 'Last year, MAHB also supported the K9 unit by contributing two additional dogs. The K9 unit conducts operations nationwide at other international airports across Peninsular Malaysia.' Mr Nik Nazmi also highlighted cooperation with other enforcement agencies at KLIA through joint and special operations . Authorities are also collaborating with international agencies such as Interpol Environmental Security Programme and the World Customs Organisation in annual operations to prevent more smuggling cases. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
