Airline passenger caught trying to smuggle birds in PVC pipes via KLIA2

Summary

• Authorities rescued five birds stuffed in PVC pipes inside a check-in luggage bag belonging to an Indonesian man flying to Surabaya.

• The estimated value of the five Asian koel (Burung Sewah Tahu) birds is RM65,000.

• The arrest came four days after the natural resources and rnvironmental sustainability minister visited KLIA2 for a briefing on measures to combat wildlife trade.

An airline passenger travelling from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) was caught allegedly trying to smuggle birds in his suitcase.

The arrest came just four days after Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad inspected wildlife enforcement activities at the airport, following a spate of foreign busts of wildlife smuggling attempts by airline passengers travelling from Kuala Lumpur.

On Monday, the Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) arrested an Indonesian man who allegedly carried five Asian koel (burung sewah tahu) birds at the airport.

The Asian koel, a member of the cuckoo family of birds - the Cuculidae, was found stuffed inside five separate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes in the check-in luggage belonging to the 47-year-old man, AKPS said.

He was scheduled to board AirAsia flight QZ321 heading to Surabaya, Indonesia.

“Upon detention and questioning, the suspect failed to produce any document authorising him to export the wildlife animals that are estimated to be valued at RM65,000,” AKPS said in a statement.

According to Perhilitan, the suspect is remanded for four days starting March 11.

The AKPS said the case is being investigated under Section 71 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 for exports of protected wildlife without a special permit.

It also warned any individuals against trying to smuggle wildlife animals as it will not hesitate to take stern action to stop the illegal activity to ensure the country’s biodiversity is protected.

The public can support enforcement efforts against wildlife trading or smuggling activities by alerting Perhilitan via its hotline 1-800-88-5151 or its website.

Minister’s visit

Last week Nik Nazmi visited KLIA2 to inspect wildlife trade enforcement activities and observe a wildlife detection simulation using Perhilitan sniffer dogs.

During the Friday visit, Nik Nazmi received a briefing from Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) on the baggage screening system at the airport.

MAHB handles all check-in luggage while the Customs Department inspects hand luggage carried by passengers onto planes.

In a statement, the minister said Perhilitan, which comes under his ministry, will take proactive measures to combat wildlife trade, including stepping up enforcement at the country’s entry points.

Nik Nazmi stressed that KLIA is one of the country’s high-risk entry points for wildlife smuggling, underscoring the crucial role of enforcement agencies and MAHB in effectively curbing such activities.

He noted that Malaysia has become a transit hub for smuggling high-value wildlife products and animals such as elephant ivory, rhino horns, and exotic reptiles.

Data from Indian authorities on wildlife seizures involving flights from KLIA and KLIA2 showed eight recorded cases in 2023 and 12 in 2024.

Many species smuggled

Malaysia is considered a major transit point for the trafficking of endangered species to other parts of Asia.

On Feb 18, authorities seized 4,386 pig-nosed turtles from being flown out of the country at the KLIA.

Following a tip-off, Perhilitan and AKPS officers checked two passengers intending to board AirAsia flight AK512 from Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi.

“The checks on the two passengers revealed that they were carrying seven luggage containing 4,386 pig-nosed turtles.

Perhilitan revealed that the seized pig-nosed turtles have an estimated value of RM1.754 million.

Also last month, the Customs Departments in Mumbai and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India foiled two attempts to smuggle primates from Malaysia into the country via passenger flights.

In the Mumbai case, five infant gibbons were hidden in plastic containers in a trolley suitcase carried by a passenger who travelled on a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur on Feb 4.

Three of the primates had died, while two were in critical condition upon rescue and will be sent back to Malaysia once rehabilitated.

In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands case, eight juvenile primates - the pig-tailed macaque and gibbon - were recovered in the bags of two passengers who flew on an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur on Feb 8.

The alleged smugglers had intended to continue travel to Bengaluru and Chennai, local media reported.

Last October, a Malaysian woman was caught in the Chennai Airport trying to traffic four gibbons and 52 iguanas via a flight from Kuala Lumpur.

In September 2024, a passenger from Kuala Lumpur flew to Chennai Airport with 5,000 turtles in his luggage, while the month before that, the authorities there intercepted 778 Indian star tortoises found in a passenger’s baggage.

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