Unit foils bid to smuggle - Malay Press Item

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: THE STAR (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) 21 January 2000 Unit foils bid to smuggle cobras : Photo: No Slipping Away. . . Perlis Snake Farm employee Zainudin Ismail putting some of the seized snakes into a cage in Kangar yesterday. : Kangar: The police anti-smuggling unit has thwarted an attempt to bring in 441 snakes of the common cobra species from Thailand yesterday. : State Wildlife and National Parks director Zulkifli Mohd Arshad said the snakes were seized from a lorry at a roadblock at the 18th kilometre of the Kangar-Padang Besar trunk road at 8.30pm. : He said the unit handed over the snakes to the department's personnel. : He said that the seizure of the snakes which were inside 56 sacks, was the first such case this year. : Several snake-smuggling attempts from Thailand had been recorded in previous years in Perlis. : Zulkifli said several snakes on the lorry were not seized as these were not protected under the law and the necessary documents were in place. : He also said the driver of the lorry was being questioned to help the department identify the culprit or culprits behind the smuggling attempt. : He said those committing the act could be charged in court and fined up to RM3,500 or jailed three years under the Wildlife Act. : Zulkifli added that the snakes were caught in Thailand and were believed to destined for China, South Korea and Taiwan. : He said the cold season in those countries from November to February pushed up the demand for snakes, which are said to be effective in warming up the body if consumed. : A kilo of the snake's meat could fetch between RM45 and RM50 in the market, he added. : :

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