Kuala Lumpur: Aviation security personnel at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 thwarted an attempt to smuggle six live gibbons before the aircraft departed.
The discovery was made during routine baggage screening when officers detected a suspicious image on a scanner, KLIA said in a Facebook post on Monday.
Airport security teams then worked with the Wildlife and National Parks Department and airline partners to locate the passenger and stop the smuggling attempt.
Photographs shared by KLIA showed the gibbons, a species of small ape, crammed inside a bag, while another image depicted an officer holding one of the animals.
“From the sharp eyes at the scanner to the seamless coordination on the tarmac, this rescue proves that a united airport community can truly make a difference in the global fight against illegal wildlife trafficking,” KLIA said.
The airport did not disclose whether the passenger was arrested or reveal the intended destination of the flight.
The United Nations lists all 20 gibbon species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of threatened species, with habitat loss, hunting, poaching and the illegal pet trade among the key threats, while a woman was arrested at KLIA in May for allegedly attempting to smuggle four siamang gibbons valued at RM120,000, according to a New Straits Times report.
