THE Customs Department foiled an attempt to smuggle 5,255 baby red-eared slider turtles to India at klia2 on Thursday, following the arrest of two Indian nationals.

The department’s central zone assistant director-general, Zulkurnain Mohamed Yusuf, said the turtles, worth RM52,550, were found in 32 small baskets in suitcases belonging to the two male suspects.

He said the duo were detained after arriving from Guangzhou, China.

“We believe that the turtles were not meant for the local market, and klia2 was just used as a transit point,” he told a press conference at the Customs Department’s cargo complex in Sepang today.

Present was Kuala Lumpur International Airport Customs director Abdul Wahabi Abdullah.

The suspects, aged 30 and 42, have been remanded for 14 days, said Zulkurnain, adding that the turtles have been sent to the Wildlife and National Parks Department.

In another development, he said the department foiled two attempts to smuggle methamphetamine worth RM717,000 at klia2 last week.

They involved two Indian nationals, who arrived from Hyderabad and Bengaluru, on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

In the first case, 6.6kg of methamphetamine, worth RM330,000, was found in a hidden compartment of a box. In the second, 7.74kg of the drug, worth RM387,000, was found in three modified boxes.

“There is no link between the two suspects, despite them using a similar modus operandi,” said Zulkurnain.

The duo have been remanded to facilitate investigations under Section 39(b) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, and face the death penalty upon conviction. – Bernama, June 26, 2019.