JOHOR BAHRU — A brazen attempt to smuggle wild birds from Singapore into Malaysia via a car through the Causeway was thwarted last month by the Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).

Its director, Mr Aminuddin Jamin, said the 11 birds were confiscated after Perhilitan received information from the Customs Department at 7.30pm on May 31.

He said five Perhilitan officers inspected a multi-purpose vehicle belonging to a Singaporean at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex in the Sultan Iskandar Building.

“Checks at the passenger seat of the vehicle found that the wild birds involved four figs, three blue and golden macaws, a yellow-headed amazon and three red macaws,” Mr Jamin said in a statement Wednesday (June 21).

Malaysia has become known as a popular destination and transit for the illegal wildlife trade, especially wild birds over the past few years, leading to local enforcers stepping up inspection and resulting in the confiscation of an alarming number of wildlife goods.

Mr Jamin said Johor Perhilitan enforcement officers also seized the vehicle which was carrying 10 wooden boxes, cages for birds, mobile phones and a perching bird.

He said checks on the 47-year-old man found that he did not have valid documents for the birds, causing him to be detained by the police after a report was made against him.

“The man was charged in the Sessions Court here on June 7, where he pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 60 (1)(a) and Section 68 (1)(a) of the Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Act 2022 (or Act A1646).

“The court imposed a seven-day imprisonment as his sentence, starting from the date of arrest, and a fine of RM80,000 (S$23,000)," he said, adding that all of the seized items had also been forfeited by Perhilitan.

Mr Aminuddin added that the Johor Perhilitan is serious and committed to conserving the country’s biodiversity and eradicating wildlife crime.

He said the public can channel information through the Perhilitan hotline or make an e-complaint on its website at www.wildlife.gov.my.

Seizures of protected wildlife are common at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Penang International Airport and both land border crossings in Johor.

This has made Malaysia among the top 10 smuggling hubs in the region, together with the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.

In Malaysia, hunting or keeping protected wildlife is an offence under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).

Under Section 60 of the Act, those found to have committed the offence of keeping or owning wildlife without a licence are liable to a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to two years, or both.

Those who are caught hunting protected wildlife without a special permit, can be charged under Section 68 of the Act, which carries a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or a jail term of not more than three years or both, if convicted. THE MALAY MAIL