KOTA KINABALU: A smuggling syndicate failed to deceive a Customs enforcement team which uncovered containers filled with elephant tusks and pangolin scales worth RM80.5 million at the Sepanggar port here. "To our surprise, the team found 1,148 elephant tusks weighing 3,000kg and over 5,000kg of pangolin scales. Subromaniam added that the market value for the tusks is estimated to be RM9.9 million, while the pangolin scales are valued at RM70.6 million. On July 28, the state Customs enforcement team seized over RM103 million worth of scales sourced from 16,000 pangolins. The state Customs Department estimated that the scales were worth US$3,000 (RM12,886) per kilogram on the black market.

Source: New Strait Times September 08, 2017 05:03 UTC