KLIA Customs Foils Attempt to Smuggle Pangolin Scales Worth RM5 Mln

SEPANG (Selangor), June 17 (Bernama) -- The Kuala Lumpur International Airport Customs Department has succeeded in busting an attempt to smuggle nearly 400 kilogrammes of pangolin scales valued at RM5 million (about US$1.17 million) through KLIA Thursday. KLIA Customs director Hamzah Sundang in a media conference here Friday said the pangolin scales in 16 boxes arrived at KLIA from Ghana via a Turkish Airlines flight Thursday. According to him, the cargo was declared as oyster shells in the airway bill and investigations found the recipient used a false address. He said the boxes of pangolin scales were seized following an inspection conducted by the KLIA Customs Enforcement division at a KLIA cargo godown in the free trade zone at about 9.50pm Thursday. “We are still checking if the the pangolin scales are for sale in Malaysia or exported to other countries,” he said, adding that the black market price for one kilogramme of pangolin scales is estimated at US$3,000 (RM12,830). (imagesBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA