Malaysian officers rescue 450 snakes, tortoises from cooking pot

Oct 28, 2011, 4:44 GMT

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian wildlife officers rescued almost 450 protected species of snakes and tortoises as well as a macaque that were headed for the cooking pot in Thailand, a newspaper reported Friday.

A four-man team from the Wildlife and National Parks Department raided a home in the northern state of Kedah Thursday and seized the animals, including 302 Asiatic cobras, 146 box turtles and the monkey.

'The animals were stashed in cages and several blue-coloured plastic sacks, which were found inside the house,' the department's enforcement officer, Celescoriano Razond, was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times daily.

Officers also detained two men, aged in their 30s and 40s, he said.

Celescoriano said initial investigations revealed that the animals were bound for Thailand and other neighbouring countries where they would be sold to restaurants serving exotic meat.

He said the two suspects would be investigated for possession of a protected animal, which carries a penalty of up to five years in jail and a fine of 100,000 ringgit (33,333 dollars).