Hundreds of smuggled tortoises believed to be meant for local pet stores have been seized in two separate operations at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), said the Wildlife Department today.

The Indian Star Tortoises were confiscated on April 26 by KLIA officials from an Indian national who was hand-carrying the reptiles in cloth bags.

The reptiles will be flown home tomorrow in an Indian airlines flight.

New Delhi had agreed to bear the expense, said the department's law and enforcement division principal assistant director Haidar Khan in a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

"Nineteen from the original number of 404 Star Tortoises seized had died since their confiscation," he said, adding that the smuggler had also been deported to India.

While Indian Star Tortoises come under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora's (Cites) Appendix II - species of which can be traded though under strictly-controlled provisions - India has banned the export of its Star Tortoises since 2001.

Haidar said aside from the Indian Star Tortoises, the authorities at KLIA had on June 12 seized 76 Leopard Tortoises (photo) - also categorised in Cites' Appendix II.

"They were intercepted by POS Malaysia officials who became suspicious of two parcels bearing the description 'claypots'," he said.

When they opened the packages, they found the reptiles which hail from Tanzania, he added.

Haidar said the Wildlife Department has to wait for the response of the Tanzanian government before the next course of action can be determined.

Legal loopholes

In the meantime, the authorities have begun further investigations based on the receiving address found on the parcels containing the Leopard Tortoises.

However, Haidar declined to say whether any parties have been brought in for questioning.

He said as opposed to species protected in national laws, however, no action can yet be taken against any party in view of the lack of legal provisions in the current 1972 Wildlife Protection Act on the smuggling of partially-protected species cited under Cites.

He added that the drafting of the new Wildlife Protection and Conservation Act, which would fill the loopholes and contain harsher punishments for infringements of wildlife laws, were in the final stages of being prepared.

Haidar said if the Tanzanian authorities decline to take back the Leopard Tortoises, the Malaysian authorities can keep them for conservation, research or educational purposes.

"Alternatively, the tortoises can also be sold or auctioned off to licensed traders. As a last resort, the tortoises may be euthanised," he added.

Photos by S Manja Bidin