THE authorities have arrested 127 people, including poachers, and seized items worth RM31.9 million through joint Khazanah intergrated operations nationwide this year.

Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director-general Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said 69 investigation papers were opened and 293 animal traps destroyed this year.

“The highest seizure of RM31.9 million was recorded this year, compared to the previous two years with RM4.25 million.

“The success was due to the integrated collaboration between police, Customs, the Forestry Department, Immigration and several civil society groups.

“Throughout this year, the remnants of 56 tents were detected in forest reserves and national parks, 19 trees were cut, and 2,352 elements of hunting and encroachment have been successfully recorded,” he told reporters.

According to Kadir, the operations were conducted in several phases starting in September 2019 to combat encroachment, illegal logging, theft of national forest products and wildlife hunting, as well as other offences under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

Since 2019, he said, 39 series of patrols have been carried out with 181 investigation papers opened involving 350 arrests.

Meanwhile, 1,425 wildlife traps were destroyed, and 28 licensed and homemade firearms were seized from poachers, he added.

“We found our country was being used as a transit for some wildlife smugglers, especially pangolins, brought in from Indonesia before they were smuggled via air and sea to other countries such as Vietnam and China. Last year alone, we seized two tonnes of pangolins,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mazlan said police would set up a new unit known as Wildlife Crime Bureau, based in Bukit Aman, to help investigate crimes involving wildlife smuggling syndicates.

“The unit, comprising 50 officers, would use its expertise to assist Perhilitan to target gangs that have wildlife smuggling networks including seizing bank accounts, under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act,” he added. – Bernama, November 30, 2021.