JOHOR BARU, Nov 5 — The Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) arrested a Vietnamese man for allegedly storing and selling various forms of exotic meat at a premises in an industrial area on Jalan Benut, Simpang Renggam near Kluang yesterday.
Johor Perhilitan director Salman Saaban said four of the department’s enforcement personnel arrested the 35-year-old suspect at 3.45pm after receiving a tip-off.
“The results of the inspection found suspected frozen wild boar meat in a refrigerator, two hedgehog quills, three wild boar tusks, four batik python skins, five monitor lizard skins and six wild boar bones.
“The suspect, who is an employee of a fruit shop in the area, had also failed to show any valid documents allowing him to store exotic meat,” said Salman in a statement issued here today.
Salman said that investigators believe the exotic meat was for the suspect’s own consumption but also did not dismiss the notion that it was for sale.
He said the officers had also confiscated two smartphones, a passport and a Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) electricity bill from the suspect to assist investigations.
“We will also obtain a remand order against the suspect today to facilitate investigations,” said Salman.
Johor has recently been at the forefront in the fight against the illegal poaching, sale and consumption of exotic meat.
In August, Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar on his official Facebook page expressed anger over poaching activities that are still going on in state forests including in Endau Rompin, Mersing and Kahang.
Following that, the state police and Perhilitan have actively cracked down on exotic animal hunting and the illegal use of firearms in Johor.
