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Law enforcement personnel reviewing seized meat at Bintulu restaurant.
BINTULU (7 October): Some 35 kilograms of exotic meat from various animals with an estimated value of RM 5,000 were seized from a restaurant in Jalan Tanjung Kidurong here on Monday evening.
Bintulu District Police Chief Superintendent Zulkipli Suhaili said in a statement that a law enforcement team, consisting of police personnel and agents from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), raided the facility around 9 p.m.
He said the strike team found the exotic meat stored in a refrigerator.
He said the meat, separated into different plastic packages, was identified as snake, deer, lizard, wild boar, bear, squirrel, porcupine and other species of protected wildlife and animals.
The meats of various animals, including bears and deer, were found stored in a refrigerator.
“Three women between 23 and 47 years old who are believed to be the caretakers of the premises and employees of the restaurant were arrested,” he said.
Zulkipli said the suspects along with the confiscated items were brought to the Bintulu Forest Bureau for further investigation under Section 48 (1) of the 1998 Wildlife Ordinance, which carries one year in prison and a fine of 10,000 ringgit at the time of conviction.
Warning food outlets here not to offer exotic meats, he said: “Police in collaboration with other relevant agencies, especially the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, will continue to fight illegal activities involving protected species of animals in the state, with in order to curb sales and poaching. “
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