SANDAKAN: The Sessions Court here, Tuesday, sentenced a Filipino to six months’ jail for having animal parts which are protected under Section 1, Schedule III No. 9, No.7, and No. 3 of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.
The jail sentence starts from his date of arrest.
Judge Darmafikri Abu Adam meted out the sentence on Jesus A. Apolinario, 49, who pleaded guilty to committing the offence at 1.30pm on July 2 at a worker’s quarters at Labau Farm in a Forest Reserve at Tongod.
He was found to have in his possession a deer head of the Cervus Unicolour species, two deer antlers of the Muntiacus Muntjac species, both protected, when a search was undertaken by a 16-member strong team from the Khazanah Integrated Operation (OBK).
The OBK team found the animal parts in an ice box at the living room of the house, while the antlers were hung in the kitchen and a room.
Also found were 105 and 140 pieces of hedgehog hair in two transparent containers.
Jesus also could not produce any permit for keeping the protected animal parts.
The offence was committed under Section 41 (2) of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 punishable under Section 41 (4) of the same Enactment.
An offender is liable to be fined between RM30,000 to RM50,000 or jailed not more than three years, or both.
Abdul Karim Dakog of the Wildlife Department who prosecuted pressed for a deterrent sentence as having protected animal parts is a serious offence and also to deter others from committing the same offence.
The Judge also ordered Jesus to be referred to the Immigration Department after serving his jail term as he did not have any valid travel documents.
The charge against Jesus was read out in the Visaya dialect by a translator.
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