Some of the turtle eggs seized by authorities. — Photo via Facebook/Sarawak Forestry Corporation
KUCHING (July 19): Four Indonesian nationals have been sentenced to jail and fined by the Sessions Courts here today for the illegal possession of a total of 4,866 marine turtle eggs without a licence or permission from the Controller of Wild Life.
All four pleaded guilty to charges framed under Section 37(1) of the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998, punishable under Section 29(1)(c) and read together with Section 37(2)(a) of the same Ordinance.
In Sessions Court 3, Denis Bobegi Septa was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment after admitting to possessing 600 marine turtle eggs, which were found packed in plastic bags inside brown boxes.
Authorities also seized RM1,500 in Malaysian currency and 9 million Indonesian Rupiah from him.
The case was heard before Judge Saiful Bahari Adzmi and prosecuted by Simon Engka Crown.
In the same court, Romiati was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment for possessing 435 marine turtle eggs.
The case was prosecuted by Willy Chin Siaw Min.
Meanwhile, In Sessions Court 2, Iin Pretika was handed an eight-month prison sentence and fined RM55,000, in default four months’ imprisonment.
The case was heard before Judge Zuraidah Binti Zakaria and prosecuted by Leonard Baring.
In Sessions Court 1, Sri Astuti received a four-month prison sentence and was fined RM12,910, in default three months’ imprisonment.
Judge Iris Awen Jon presided over the case, which was prosecuted by Peter Buga.
Commenting on the court rulings, Controller of Wild Life Abang Arabi Abang Aimran said the decisions send a strong message to wildlife traffickers.
“These court decisions are a clear warning to traffickers that Sarawak takes wildlife crimes seriously. We will continue to strengthen operations, intelligence gathering, and public collaboration to protect the marine turtle population,” he said in a recent statement.
According to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), the convictions stemmed from a joint operation carried out by SFC and Region 5 Marine Police under Operasi Bersepadu Khazanah.
The raids were conducted at a lodging and a stall at Serikin Market in Bau, near the Malaysia–Indonesia border.
The operation followed intelligence gathered by SFC, targeting a syndicate suspected of involvement in the smuggling and illegal trade of protected wildlife.
SFC noted that the smuggling of marine turtle eggs across borders constitutes a serious transnational wildlife crime, threatening the survival of endangered turtle species and undermining ongoing conservation efforts.
“Smugglers often exploit gaps in border surveillance to traffic these eggs, feeding black market demand and exacerbating the decline of already vulnerable turtle populations,” SFC stated.
In a separate case, Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) foiled an attempt to smuggle 5,400 turtle eggs on July 6 this year.
The eggs were discovered hidden in cardboard boxes and backpacks aboard KMP Bahtera Nusantara 03 at Kapet Sintete Port, Sambas.
SFC has urged the public to assist in protecting wildlife by reporting any suspected offences.
Information can be channelled through the following hotlines: 019-8859996 (Kuching), 019-8883561 (Sibu), 019-8332737 (Bintulu), and 019-8290994 (Miri).
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