The Star, By SEREAN LAU, ONG HAN SEAN, LEE YEN MUN and ANDREW SAGAYAM, Saturday August 28, 2010
SEPANG: A man, believed to be international wildlife trader Anson Wong, has been detained at the KL International Airport following the seizure of more than 90 snakes from various species.
It is learnt that the man was in transit from Penang to Jakarta on Thursday when he was detained by Malaysia Airlines staff, who had been alerted after a piece of luggage was reported broken. The snakes were found inside the bag.
According to a government official, 95 of the snakes are believed to be boa constrictors, two are suspected to be rhinoceros vipers and one is believed to be a matamata turtle.
Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that a man named Anson Wong was picked up at 8.50pm on Aug 26, by airport security for allegedly trying to smuggle snakes. He has been remanded until Tuesday.
“We have handed the person over to Perhilitan (Wildlife and Natio nal Parks Department) for further investigations,” he said.
It had been reported by The Star in February that Wong had been linked to a Dec 15 seizure in the United States of various types of animals from an exotic animal outlet.
Two of the trader’s companies were found to have been supplying animals to the outlet.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) had claimed that CBS Wildlife and Sungai Rusa Wildlife, both owned by Wong, were supplying various types of animals and wildlife to US Global Exotics (USGE).
Wong pleaded guilty to trafficking in wildlife in the US and was sentenced to 71 months’ jail in 2000.
newsdesk@thestar.com.my
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