Wildlife smuggler arrested in Malaysia

by Lazylizards | August 28, 2010 at 07:26 am

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Anson Wong, a wildlife dealer, was imprisoned in the US in 1998 for six years for illegal wildlife trade.

He was arrested again and sentenced to six months' jail and fined RM 190,000 (US$ 50,000) on September 6, 2010, this time in Malaysia, Anson's native country, for smuggling 95 boa constrictor out of the country. When questioned by the judge, Wong, 52, said he did not have an export permit because his customer had insisted on having the snakes before Hari Raya, which celebrates the end of the Muslim month of Ramadhan, observed by the majority of Malaysians.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) had claimed that CBS Wildlife and Sungai Rusa Wildlife, both owned by Wong, were supplying various types of animals and wildlife to US Global Exotics (USGE).

Read also the January 2010 issue of National Geographic magazine about wildlife trafficking:

After this article was published, the Malaysian Parliament passed the Wildlife Conservation Act, the first major wildlife law overhaul in the country since 1972.

Sessions Court judge Zulhelmy Hasan set his bail at RM50,000 in one surety. Zulhelmy also ordered Wong to surrender his passport pending disposal of the case. The judge set Sept 6 for mention pending appointment of a lawyer.