KLIA Authorities Found ‘Kayangan’ Birds That Are Worth Nearly RM700,000 Packed in Cargo Box

By Karissa Lund  •  08 Nov 2022 in News

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Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) authorities and the Department of Wildlife Protection and National Parks (PERHILITAN) discovered a cargo box stuffed with 36 birds. The wildlife found was worth almost RM700,000 and was meant to be smuggled and sold at Hong Kong’s black market.

According to Berita Harian, Malaysia is being treated as a transit point used by international wildlife trafficking syndicates, especially for the shipment of protected animal species.

Director General of Perhilitan, Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said the confiscation of the birds was carried out by members of the Enforcement Division of the PERHILITAN Department through Operation Bersepadu Khazanah (OBK).

He said that the inspection was carried out at the KLIA cargo post section after the PERHILITAN office received information about the suspicious packages from the airport’s authorities.

“The results of the inspection carried out on several large packages without export documents found that they contained cages and protected wild birds. Further inspection found 15 crown victoria birds, 18 birds-of-paradise, two leaf-crows and a white crow,” he told Harian Metro.

Abdul Kadir also noted that the birds came from Indonesia and were on their way to being smuggled to Hong Kong.

“The high-value bird was successfully detected after KLIA officers performed an X-ray scan on the cargo box. It is understood that the bird-of-paradise from Papua New Guinea was captured by poachers who cooperated with international smuggling syndicates.

“All wildlife estimated to be worth close to RM700,000 were brought to the Wildlife Department Headquarters for further investigation,” he said.

For now, a police report has been made at the KLIA police station and the case will be investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).