Article: Poachers nabbed in Perak reserve

Monday May 25, 2009

By SYLVIA LOOI

IPOH: Three out of seven animal poachers, all Cambodians, were caught at the Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve in Ulu Lawin, Gerik.

The seven, who had earlier hunted protected wild boars and argus pheasants in the forest, were resting when they were surprised by enforcement officers from the Perak Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan).

Fowl business: Perhilitan officers inspecting the argus pheasant meat seized in a raid on a group of Cambodians at the Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve in Gerik, Perak.

Department director Shabrina Mohd Shariff said the department deployed a team of 15 enforcement officers on Saturday after a tip-off.

"My men managed to catch three of them while the rest slipped into the forest under the cover of darkness."

Her officers seized 9.5kg of smoked wild boar meat, 1.9kg of smoked wild boar meat with heads, ribs and limbs, 1.4kg of argus pheasant meat, 2.6kg of agarwood and a bag full of argus pheasant feathers.

They also found 52 snares of various sizes, four parang and three axes, she added.

Six passports were also seized from the campsite, added Shabrina, noting that the passports had expired in 2007.

A report was also lodged at the Gerik police station on the poaching activities.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: News: Nation 25 May 2009