Malaysia Sees Rise in Smuggling of Exotic Animals

Economic hardship and growing online sales of wildlife through social media platforms are among key factors that have led to an increase in the smuggling of exotic animals in Malaysia.

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PETALING JAYA - Economic hardship and growing online sales of wildlife through social media platforms are among key factors that have led to an increase in the smuggling of exotic animals in Malaysia.

As a result, the country has inadvertently been used as a transit point.

Referring to several recent cases, Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the smuggling of exotic wildlife to India is driven by several factors, such as demand in certain regions in India where wildlife is often kept as pets.

"Malaysia is one of the countries with a supply of local and exotic wildlife that attracts smugglers in India," he told The Star.

"Intelligence findings indicate that most exotic wildlife species are smuggled in from neighboring countries and temporarily transited through Malaysia before being sent to destination countries such as India, Vietnam and others."

According to Mr Nik Nazmi, another major reason is economic hardship, which has led some individuals to act as smuggling mules.