By Mohd Firdaus Md Saisi
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s northern land border has become the main entry point for foreign poachers, particularly from Vietnam, seeking to hunt endangered wildlife, including the critically endangered Malayan tiger.
Datuk Mohd Zaki Ashar, commander of the Wildlife Crime Bureau/Special Investigation Intelligence (WCB/PSK) of the Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department, said syndicates use illegal border crossings to enter the country before moving into forest reserves believed to be home to their target species.
“Once inside, the poachers are prepared to remain deep in the forest for months, sometimes exceeding six months.
“During that time, they establish contacts with local syndicate members, accumulate wildlife products and smuggle them back to their home country, where demand is exceptionally high,” he told Bernama.
He said the Malayan tiger, with an estimated wild population of only about 200, remains the syndicates’ prime target as a single tiger can fetch up to RM500,000 on the black market.
Mohd Zaki said other targeted species include elephants, pangolins, deer, hornbills, exotic birds, reptiles and protected primates.
“Syndicates also traffic wildlife parts and derivatives such as ivory, pangolin scales, fangs, skins and other high-value body parts.
“The value of each species varies according to domestic and international demand, prompting continuous intelligence gathering and close cooperation with enforcement agencies to detect threats to protected wildlife,” he said.
He noted that wildlife products are typically smuggled overseas, where demand and prices are significantly higher, particularly for exotic food and traditional medicine.
“However, intelligence indicates demand has expanded beyond traditional medicine. Wildlife products are increasingly traded as collectibles, ornaments, accessories, trophies, luxury souvenirs and status symbols, while e-commerce platforms and social media have enabled more discreet cross-border transactions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said enforcement efforts have been intensified through integrated operations dubbed Operasi Bersepadu Khazanah (OBK) involving Royal Malaysia Police, Customs Department, Forestry Department and relevant non-governmental organisations.
Since 2019, the OBK has removed 2,851 snares, arrested 1,230 individuals and seized wildlife-related items worth RM416.3 million.
“The OBK’s biggest success came in 2023 with the dismantling of the country’s largest wildlife trafficking syndicate involving Vietnamese nationals. Three offenders were fined RM128.9 million and sentenced to eight years and six months’ imprisonment, among the harshest penalties imposed under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010,” he said.
Abdul Kadir said to strengthen patrols and enforcement, Perhilitan has recruited 1,950 Community Rangers comprising mostly Orang Asli, as well as military veterans and civilians, under the Biodiversity Protection and Patrolling Programme this year.
“These rangers are deployed across 203 control posts, including joint posts with NGO partners, to patrol protected areas and permanent forest reserves, combating encroachment, illegal logging and wildlife poaching by both local and foreign offenders,” he said.
At the same time, Abdul Kadir said Perhilitan is also developing an artificial intelligence-powered app to accelerate the analysis of camera trap data.
He noted that such an app can identify wildlife species more quickly, including distinguishing individual Malayan tigers by their stripe patterns, improving population monitoring and conservation efforts.
“Perhilitan also uses satellite collars to track selected wildlife in real time, supporting an early warning system that alerts authorities and nearby communities when animals approach human settlements to reduce human-wildlife conflict,” he said.
Other technologies include camera traps to monitor wildlife populations and detect forest intrusions, as well as drones for aerial surveillance of wildlife accident hotspots, he added.
-- BERNAMA