JOHOR BARU, Feb 27 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an attempt by two men to smuggle 3,300 protected turtles into the country near Tanjung Tohor in the waters off Batu Pahat early today.

The Batu Pahat maritime zone MMEA enforcement team intercepted the boat at 12.30am and found the carettochelys insculpta turtles packed in seven boxes.

Batu Pahat MMEA maritime zone director Commander Mohamad Othman said the team arrested the two locals aged 30 and 50 for investigations.

"The turtles were believed to be brought in to be sold in the country. The total seizure is estimated to be about RM150,000, including the boat seized,” he said in a statement here today.

The protected turtles, identified as carettochelys insculpta turtles, were packed in seven boxes. — Picture courtesy of MMEA

Mohamad said the seizure and arrest was the result of cooperation between the agency’s Batu Pahat maritime zone and the police’s 6th Battalion general operations force at the Parit Unas Post.

The case has been handed to the Batu Pahat Wildlife Department and will be investigated under Section 41 (4) (B) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 (Amendment 2016).

The carettochelys insculpta, commonly known as the pig-nosed turtle, is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The freshwater reptile is restricted to the Northern Territories of Australia and the southern lowlands of New Guinea.

Despite the legal protection, the turtles are in high demand internationally for the exotic pet trade, food market and for traditional medicine.