Local bus driver, two Indonesians held for smuggling live birds

JOHOR BARU: Two Indonesians and a local express bus driver were detained for trying to smuggle out live birds at Km32.8 of North-South Highway, near the Kulai Rest & Recreation stop today.
The Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) director Jamalun Nasir Ibrahim said this is the first time they stumbled onto such a case in an express bus.
He said the 247 white-rumped Shama, 30 female birds and three baby birds (up to two months old) were kept in several baskets in the luggage compartment of the express bus from Ipoh.
White-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus) is a small passerine bird of the family Muscicapidae which is a cage-bird and songster.
He said the Indonesians in a private car were seen transferring the birds from the bus at the stop at about 6.10am.
When confronted, Jamalun said the three men could not produce a valid permit from the department to commercially breed the birds.
He added the Indonesians who had valid travel documents were detained together with the bus driver and a police report has also been lodged as it is an offence to smuggle the birds under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 which carries a fine up to RM100,000 or imprisonment up to five years or both upon conviction.
Each bird, he said, could be sold for between RM300 and RM1,000.
He added initial investigations revealed that the birds were caught in a local forest by aborigines and the suspects were attempting to smuggle them out into neighbouring countries.
Jamalun said several birds had also died in the bus. The department also seized the car and bus.