ID :
54211
Tue, 04/07/2009 - 11:30
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/54211
The shortlink copeid
MALAYSIAN ARRESTED FOR SMUGGLING ANTEATERS
Pekanbaru, April 6 (ANTARA) - Marine police in Riau have arrested a Malaysian citizen for alleged involvement in smuggling anteaters out of the region.
"Indeed one of the suspects arrested was a Malaysian citizen known as Mat Zaki bin Mislan," the director of marine police of the Riau Police Command, Senior Commissioner Zainal Paliwang, said here on Monday.
Zainal said the suspect was caught by police patrol in the Tanjung Sekodi waters in the district of Bengkalis early on Sunday.
Mat Zaki who is a residence of Parit Jawa Muara, Johor, Malaysia was seized along with Zakaria Bin Baharuddin, a villager of Bengkalis.
From them the police confiscated 13 anteaters weighing between two and three kilograms each.
It is believed the animals were taken from the Gudap forest in Bengkalis.
The two suspects are now still held at the police station in Bengkalis for further interrogation.
An operations officer of the directorate of marine police of the Riau Police Command, First Inspector Tri Irawan, said Mat Zaki was strongly believed to be part of a network involved in the smuggling attempt of 44 anteaters foiled by the police in February 2009.
An international smuggling network usually hires local villagers to collect anteaters who sold them Rp500,000 per head. The animal meanwhile may sell at Rp2.5 million to Rp5 million in Malaysia.
"The rare and protected animals are sold at high prices in Malaysia," he said.
If proven to have smuggled the protected animals the perpetrators may face a maximum of five years in jail, in addition to a fine of up to Rp100 million.
"Indeed one of the suspects arrested was a Malaysian citizen known as Mat Zaki bin Mislan," the director of marine police of the Riau Police Command, Senior Commissioner Zainal Paliwang, said here on Monday.
Zainal said the suspect was caught by police patrol in the Tanjung Sekodi waters in the district of Bengkalis early on Sunday.
Mat Zaki who is a residence of Parit Jawa Muara, Johor, Malaysia was seized along with Zakaria Bin Baharuddin, a villager of Bengkalis.
From them the police confiscated 13 anteaters weighing between two and three kilograms each.
It is believed the animals were taken from the Gudap forest in Bengkalis.
The two suspects are now still held at the police station in Bengkalis for further interrogation.
An operations officer of the directorate of marine police of the Riau Police Command, First Inspector Tri Irawan, said Mat Zaki was strongly believed to be part of a network involved in the smuggling attempt of 44 anteaters foiled by the police in February 2009.
An international smuggling network usually hires local villagers to collect anteaters who sold them Rp500,000 per head. The animal meanwhile may sell at Rp2.5 million to Rp5 million in Malaysia.
"The rare and protected animals are sold at high prices in Malaysia," he said.
If proven to have smuggled the protected animals the perpetrators may face a maximum of five years in jail, in addition to a fine of up to Rp100 million.
