An unemployed man was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment and fined RM50,000, in default six months’ jail, after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of 732 marine turtle eggs.
Sessions Court judge Musli Ab Hamid delivered the sentence against Mohamad Nazarudin Zuami, 32, after he admitted to an offence under Section 37(1) of the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998, punishable under Section 37(2)(a) and read together with Section 29(1)(c). The law provides for up to two years’ jail and a fine of RM25,000 for each animal part upon conviction.
The offence occurred around 10am on August 13 at a house in a resettlement scheme along Jalan Batu Kawa here. Acting on intelligence, enforcement officers from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation and Marine Police Region 5 raided the premises under Ops Bersepadu Khazanah.
During the raid, Nazarudin was arrested after failing to produce valid permission or a licence to possess the turtle eggs. A search uncovered 732 eggs hidden in various containers—577 in a green basket, 42 in a purple basket, 93 in a red plastic bag, and 20 in a white plastic bag.
The eggs were later confirmed to be from the Cheloniidae family, classified as a Totally Protected Animal under the First Schedule of the Ordinance.
Prosecuting officers Leonard Baring and Willy Chin Siaw Min appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.
