Wildlife crimes: Seven held in first 15 days
Published on: Thursday, January 16, 2020
By: Ottey Peter
.jpg "Wildlife crimes: Seven held in first 15 days")
KOTA KINABALU: Seven people have been arrested for wildlife crimes through joint operations mounted by the General Operations Force (PGA), Sabah Forestry Department and Sabah Wildlife Department within the first 15 days of this year.
Deputy Chief Minister cum Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew (pic) said the success was extremely encouraging, but questions about the offenders’ partners, their networks and resources to perpetrate these crimes need to be answered.
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“These are only a few of the unknowns. We must remember that wildlife crime is not just a local problem but often part of an international wildlife trade syndicate associated with drugs and human trafficking, as well as money-laundering.
“We must continue the synergy. Only by working together with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private sector and government agencies, as well as having cross-border cooperation, we will truly succeed in ending these senseless crimes.
“I am certain that in Sabah we have very capable, dedicated and passionate people that are working endlessly on increasing our intelligence and forensic capabilities to curb wildlife crime.”
Liew said this in her speech, read by her Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Jamili Nais, when opening the Workshop on Illegal Wildlife Trade and Counteracting Measures in Sabah, here, Wednesday.
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Believing that the workshop will provide much-needed information and ideas as to how to stop this problem in Sabah, she said Sabah is truly blessed with rich biodiversity as thousands of tourists come here to see orang-utans, elephants, sun bears, proboscis monkeys and many other animals.
“Our State economy relies heavily on these visitors. We must ensure that what we have is never lost, not only for the economic profit, but because it is the natural heritage for our younger generations. Unfortunately, it is exactly this richness which surely attracts criminals, attempting to profit from it.
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“The United Nations and other international organisations have recognised that the same routes used to smuggle wildlife and wildlife products through countries and across continents are often used to smuggle other contraband, most notably drugs.
“When the illegal trade in wildlife is coupled with crime involving timber, the illegal trade in flora and fauna is ranked as the fourth biggest transnational crime with a value of seventeen billion US dollars just behind trafficking in weapons, drugs and people,” she said.
Liew said the fact that Sabah has become part of these crime routes could not be ignored.
“We must do all in our power to stop this situation and to collaborate at local and international levels to prosecute and convict the criminals responsible.
“The Sabah Government has a clear posture regarding these infamous crimes and everyone needs to take every step necessary to protect the wildlife.
To this end, we have endorsed species specific action plans, covering the need to increase the capacity and effectiveness of the State’s agencies in combating poaching, trade and other wildlife crimes.
“We support the launching of new sentencing guidelines to address wildlife crime in a fair and consistent manner, and we are also effectively collaborating with other agencies to capture wildlife crime offenders.
“We cannot sit back and become lax. Now, more than ever, we must keep the momentum going,” she said.
Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy in Malaysia representing the US Ambassador, Dean Thompson, Sabah Wildlife Department Director Augustine Tuuga, Senior Assistant Chief Conservator of Forest of the Sabah Forestry Department, Indra Sunjoto and Professor Benoit Goossens, Director of Danau Girang Field Centre were also present.
Meanwhile, Tuuga said 33 tonnes of pangolin were seized jointly with the police, underlining the importance of teamwork.
He said that towards the end of last year, the Inspector of General of Police gave this crime its due weight by launching “Operation Khazanah.”
“We cannot and should not fight this crime alone. Already in collaboration with the Protect team of the Sabah Forestry Department and with the General Operations Force of the Royal Malaysian Police, we have conducted joint patrolling efforts leading to the capture of wildlife crime offenders,” he said.
He said it has also become clearer that there is insufficient capacity to provide and sustain counteracting measures to these crimes, especially in terms of intelligence collection and management, and on wildlife forensic techniques.
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