Malaysian Raid Uncovers Large-Scale Wildlife Part Stockpile and International Trade Link.
A stunning haul of nearly 1,500 wildlife parts from an unassuming suburban Malaysian home has landed a Vietnamese national in court and exposed large-scale consolidation for international trade.
Investigators recovered hundreds of suspected reticulated python parts including gall bladders and tongue, and compressed blocks believed to be glue cakes made from wildlife parts, in an operation by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (PERHILITAN) on 4 April in the state of Johor.
A 39-year-old Vietnamese man was charged in the Johor Bahru Sessions Court on April 10. Media reported that he pleaded guilty when the charges were read in Vietnamese before the judge Madihah Zainol.
He faces two charges under the Wildlife Conservation Act for illegally keeping 1,022 gall bladders and 191 tongues of the reticulated python Python reticulatus. If convicted, he could be fined up to MYR50,000 (approximately USD12,600) or jailed a maximum of three years or both, on each of these charges.
Photos released by PERHILITAN showed some of the seized items individually wrapped in plastic packaging as if ready for sale.
“It’s not clear if all the parts were from Malaysian wildlife or collected from elsewhere across Southeast Asia. It does however point to a worrying trend where poachers and traffickers are using Malaysia as their hunting and consolidation grounds,”
said Kanitha Krishnasamy, Southeast Asia Director for TRAFFIC.
Snake gall bladders are commonly used as traditional medicine across the region and is often used to treat aches, chronic pain and stiffness associated with feng shi (风湿) or wind and dampness. Reticulated pythons specifically, are also in demand for their skin for the fashion industry.
The seizure follows another large-scale confiscation of wildlife parts involving Vietnamese nationals in 2023, raising questions about their role in accumulating wildlife parts in Malaysia and their link to local or regional poaching and trade.
The 2023 seizure also featured python parts alongside hundreds of parts from a long list of iconic mammals.
“This marks yet another significant enforcement win for Malaysia but is also one that makes the case for delving deeper into networks operating across Southeast Asia and unravelling cross-border illicit trade,”
said Krishnasamy.
Prosecution was carried out by Deputy Public Prosecutor for PERHILITAN Mas Izzaty Lokman while the accused was represented by Mohd Fazaly Ali Mohd Ghazali.
