Malaysian authorities have arrested six members of an international crime syndicate known as the “Ninja Turtle Gang” and seized about 200 smuggled turtles and tortoises, wildlife officials said Tuesday.
Malaysia arrests six members of ‘Ninja Turtle Gang’, confiscates turtles {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, director-general of Malaysia’s Wildlife and National Parks Department, said four Cambodians and two Malaysians were arrested when police and wildlife authorities searched a house in Kuala Lumpur on July 2.
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He told AFP that around 200 turtles worth an estimated 246,394 ringgits had been rescued in the raids, the second seizure in Malaysia within a week.
Many people across Asia believe that turtles and tortoises bring good luck and prosperity.
Abdul Qadir said the six arrested belonged to the “Ninja Turtle Gang”, an international criminal organisation involved in reptile smuggling.
In the first raid on June 29, police and wildlife officials rescued 400 turtles that were being sold in Southeast Asia and were estimated to be worth $805,084 on the black market.
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Among the animals rescued in the search was the critically endangered Chinese soft-shelled turtle, also known as the Boreal sea turtle, Abdul Qadir said.
Other species included the endangered black spotted turtle, common snapping turtle, African giant turtle, leopard turtle and red-footed turtle, all of which are found throughout South America and on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Barbados.
“Initial investigations have revealed that the reptiles were smuggled from abroad for the lucrative pet market,” Abdul Qadir said.
Also found were three snakes, four soft-shelled turtles, one lizard and five frogs.
The rescued animals were being held at the Malaysian Wildlife Department’s quarantine centre.
Abdul Kadir said last week that the reptiles were being illegally brought into Malaysia by road or in suitcases by smugglers aboard commercial aircraft.
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Wildlife conservation NGO TRAFFIC says Southeast Asian countries “act as sources, consumers and transit points for wildlife both within the region and from other parts of the world”.
JSM/MBA/PBT
This article has been generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
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