KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian authorities have arrested six members of the international crime ring known as the “Ninja Turtle Gang” and seized approximately 200 smuggled tortoises and turtles, according to a wildlife official on July 9.
Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, director-general of Malaysia’s wildlife and national parks department, reported that four Cambodians and two Malaysians were apprehended during a July 2 raid on a house in Kuala Lumpur by police and wildlife officials.
Abdul Kadir informed AFP that around 200 turtles and tortoises, valued at an estimated RM246,394 (S$70,630), were rescued during the operation. This raid follows another significant seizure in Malaysia less than a week prior. Turtles and tortoises are widely believed across Asia to bring good luck and prosperity, making them highly sought after.
The six individuals arrested are believed to be members of the Ninja Turtle Gang, an international syndicate involved in smuggling these reptiles. During an initial raid on June 29, police and wildlife officials rescued 400 tortoises intended for sale in Southeast Asia, with a black market value of US$805,084 (S$1 million).
Among the rescued animals in the latest raid were critically endangered species, such as the Chinese striped-necked turtle, also known as the golden thread turtle. Other species included the endangered black pond turtle, snapping turtle, sulcata tortoise, leopard tortoise, and the red-footed tortoise native to South America and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Barbados.
“Initial investigations revealed that the reptiles were smuggled from abroad to meet the lucrative pet market,” Abdul Kadir said. Additionally, authorities discovered three snakes, four softshell turtles, a skink, and five frogs.
The rescued animals are currently being held in a Malaysian wildlife department quarantine center. The reptiles are often smuggled into Malaysia by road or in suitcases carried by smugglers aboard commercial flights, Abdul Kadir noted last week.
Traffic, a wildlife NGO, has indicated that Southeast Asian countries act as sources, consumers, and transit points for wildlife originating both within the region and globally.