Kota Kinabalu: The Wildlife Health, Genetic and Forensic Laboratory (WHGFL) of the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) has been listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Directory of Laboratories that Conduct Wildlife Forensic Testing.
The listing places the laboratory among only 13 recognised wildlife forensic laboratories worldwide that meet international standards required for wildlife forensic testing in legal proceedings.
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SWD Director Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar said the recognition showed Sabah’s scientific evidence met international standards for wildlife crime investigations and prosecutions.
“By entering this exclusive directory, we are proving that our scientific evidence stands up to the highest level of international scrutiny,” he said in a statement.
The laboratory in Lok Kawi is the first in Borneo and among only a few in Asia to receive the recognition.
The recognition followed several years of work to achieve ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation and certification of wildlife forensic scientists by the Society of Wildlife Forensic Science.
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Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) Scientific Advisor and Coordinator of the WHGFL Forensic Unit, Dr Milena Salgado Lynn, said the laboratory’s development was supported by funding from the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
She said funding secured since 2019 under projects aimed at strengthening wildlife enforcement and forensic capacity in Sabah enabled training and certification for SWD and DGFC personnel.
Dr Milena also acknowledged the role of TRACE Wildlife Forensics Network and Conservation Medicine in helping secure the accreditation and CITES listing.
Established in 2013, the laboratory specialises in wildlife disease screening and the use of genetic tools to support wildlife law enforcement and biodiversity conservation in Sabah.
The facility supports investigations involving species such as the Bornean banteng, Bornean elephant and Sunda pangolin.
With the CITES listing, the Forensic Unit can now provide internationally recognised DNA-based species identification and geographic origin testing for law enforcement and court proceedings.
Technical Manager of the Forensic Unit Dr Nurhartini Kamalia Yahya said the accreditation allows forensic samples to be processed locally in Sabah, reducing delays, chain-of-custody risks and biosecurity concerns associated with sending samples overseas.
She said the unit had handled almost 200 wildlife cases since 2021.
Among the wildlife products identified through DNA testing were pangolin scales and meat, sun bear bile and gallbladders, and meat initially believed to be deer meat but later confirmed as banteng meat.
Dr Nurhartini said DNA testing also revealed that some sun bear bile products sold on the black market were actually pig or chicken bile.
She said sharing such findings could help reduce demand for illegal wildlife products.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Wildlife Forensics Coordinator in Bangkok, Dr Ross McEwing, said wildlife DNA forensics played an important role in securing convictions and disrupting organised wildlife crime networks.
He said the inclusion of the Sabah Wildlife Department’s laboratory reflected Malaysia’s leadership in forensic-based wildlife crime investigations.
“For the Sabah Wildlife Department, this is not just a win for our department, but a victory for our most vulnerable species,” said Mohd Soffian.
