A Malaysian court fined a man for possession of 12 protected pangolin anteaters in an eastern state, a report said today.

The judge ordered a fine of RM10,000 (US$3,000) for violating conservation laws, according to the New Straits Times .

The 21-year-old defendant was arrested by police last month in Beaufort town in the state of Sabah on Borneo island, about 1,575 kilometres east of Kuala Lumpur.

The pangolin is a protected species in Malaysia but smuggling is rampant due to high demand for its meat.

- dpa