The marine police (PPM) foiled an attempt to smuggle 4,000 live ‘Carettochelys Insclupta’ baby tortoises worth RM1 million into Tawau from a neighbouring country, through Sungai Haji Kuning, Sebatik Island near Tawau this morning.

Tawau Region 4 PPM commanding officer Deputy Superintendent Mohd Nazari Ismail said enforcement operations personnel had detected a boat operated by an Indonesian man, travelling from Sungai Haji Kuning to Tawau at 10am.

During their inspection of the boat, officers found three large pieces of luggage and two boxes containing 39 plastic containers - the 4,000 tortoises were in the containers, Mohd Nazari said at a press conference in Tawau.

According to preliminary investigations, the 38-year-old suspect had valid travel documents and claimed to have been duped by a man driving a taxi in the Sungai Haji Kuning area, who had asked him to take the luggage and boxes to Tawau.

"The suspect, who did not know the contents of the luggage and boxes, agreed to do so for RM50," Mohd Nazari said, adding that it was understood that the tortoises were to be sent to Semporna.

Each of the tortoises can fetch up to RM 250.

The case is being investigated under Section 41 (2) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, Mohd Nazari said.

- Bernama