KUDAT – Around 1,000 turtles were killed, and their meat dried for smuggling to meet foreign market demand. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Kudat Zone thwarted the smuggling activity during Op Pluto Timur/Op Tiris in Kampung Tajau Laut waters on Tuesday. Maritim Kudat Director, Commander Maurice Grenville Abeyeratne, said his team spotted a suspicious boat during a patrol.
1,000 Turtles Killed
The suspects fled, leaving 51 sacks of dried turtle meat, weighing 765 kg, and 19 sacks of turtle shells on the beach. The seized items, valued over RM500,000, are under investigation for wildlife smuggling under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
Cover Photo: APMM Kudat
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