Malaysia seizes over 5,000 smuggled terrapins at KL airport
KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian authorities said on Wednesday (June 26) they had seized more than 5,000 smuggled terrapins at Kuala Lumpur airport last week.
Malaysian customs officers arrested two Indian men attempting to smuggle over 5,000 terrapins through the country to be sold as pets, officials said.
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KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian authorities said on Wednesday (June 26) they had seized more than 5,000 smuggled terrapins at Kuala Lumpur airport last week.
Two Indian nationals were travelling with 5,255 red-eared sliders, a semi-aquatic species of turtle, in baskets within their luggage, the Customs Deputy Assistant Director Zulkurnain Mohamed Yusuf told media. The total value of the haul was over US$12,700 (S$17,200), he added.
The two men, who arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) from China's Guangzhou on Thursday (June 20), had been detained and are expected to be charged, authorities said.
Red-eared sliders are the most popular turtle in the pet trade and are considered an invasive species in a number of habitats, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Malaysia is a major transit point for wildlife trade to other Asian countries. REUTERS
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