Four suspected poachers nabbed in Tawau forest reserve
Published on: Saturday, November 30, 2019
By: Lagatah Toyos
The four suspects who were caught.
TAWAU: The Forestry Department’s special unit arrested four men in their 30s and 40s believed to be poaching wildlife in the Mount Rara Forest Reserve, about 60km from Tawau, on Wednesday.Chief Forests Conservator Datuk Mashor Mohd Jaini said in a statement that a dead deer believed to have been shot was also confiscated from the suspects.
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Earlier, the team inspected a four-wheel-drive of the suspects and discovered the deer.
“Upon further inspection, the team discovered a set of homemade guns (Bakakuk) and several live bullets,” he said. They were then arrested and taken to Tawau police station for further investigation.
“The case will be investigated under the Wildlife Protection Enactment 1997, for hunting without a valid permit,” he said.
Mashor said for offence related to the homemade gun would be investigated by police under the Weapons Act.
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The operation carried out by the Forestry Department was part of an ongoing effort to combat illegal activities in the forest reserve.
He stressed that illegal hunting in the forest reserve is prohibited and Wildlife Department would never grant any hunting permit in the protected area.
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“Wildlife is part of the national treasure and must be protected especially in Forest Reserves,” he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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