Sarawak sees surge in turtle egg smuggling with 30,000 eggs seized this year
Around 30,000 turtle eggs have been seized in Sarawak this year, marking a worrying rise in cross-border wildlife trafficking, according to Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) deputy general manager Japanie Bujang. Most smuggling attempts were detected along the Serikin and Telok Melano borders, near Indonesia. The majority of the seized eggs were smuggled from Indonesia into Sarawak, with seven court cases related to turtle egg smuggling filed this year.
This comes amid the 18th edition of Operasi Bersepadu Khazanah (OBK), a joint enforcement effort targeting wildlife trafficking. Between April and September, OBK operations led to multiple successful seizures, including primates at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Nationally, 444 arrests and seizures were made, with wildlife, particularly birds and reptiles, being the primary targets. The highest seizure value was related to agarwood, reflecting high demand for exotic species.
