TAWAU, Jan 6 — The Sabah Forestry Department’s special protect unit (Protect) has detained an Indonesian couple at their house in an oil palm plantation near Luasong about 70km from here for illegal possession of four elephant tusks, at 1.30pm yesterday.
In a statement, Sabah Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Mashor Mohd Jaini confirmed the arrest of the 48-year-old farmworker and his 50-year-old wife after the Protect team, who acted on a tip-off, raided their house and found the tusks weighing up to 2.5kg hidden in a closet in one of the bedrooms.
The Timorese couple admitted that the tusks were bought for RM1,500 to RM2,000 each to be resold in Indonesia at a higher price.
The case has been handed over to Tawau police for further action.
Meanwhile, Mashor described the operation as proof of the Forestry Department’s commitment to fighting elephant killers.
“Investigations are being made on whether plantation management is involved in the wildlife poaching.
“Hence, all plantation owners are advised to ensure that their employees are not involved in poaching, especially in the Benta Wawasan and Serijaya areas,” he said. — Bernama
