Five nabbed for rearing wildlife without permit

KUALA BERANG: Five men, including four Indonesians, were arrested for rearing wildlife without a permit in Besut, near here, today. 
They were apprehended in a joint operation by the Terengganu Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) last Friday. 
Ten protected species were found in two separate raids at a village in location. 
Terengganu Perhilitan director Rahmah Ilias said in the first raid, four Indonesian men aged between 23 to 31 years, were arrested after they had in their possession eight white-rumped shama birds, two jungle fowls, one orange-headed thrush, one eagle and a common iora bird. 
She said that the suspects failed to show the adequate permits needed to keep these animals. 
"In the second raid we conducted, a 36-year-old local male was arrested after he had in his possession 10 porcupines, three tortoises, an otter, a civet cat and a Burmese python," she said. 
She did not rule out the possibility that the suspects were going to sell these animals for a high price. 
She estimated that the animals were worth RM50,000 on the market.