Natural Resources Minister: How Malaysia Has Become A Hub For Exotic Animal Smuggling
Malaysia is the transit point for these smuggled animals before they are sent to their final destinations.
Malaysia is said to be one of the countries with a supply of local and exotic wildlife that attracts smugglers in India
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad highlighted several cases involving the smuggling of exotic wildlife to India
"Intelligence findings indicate that most exotic wildlife species are smuggled in from neighbouring countries and temporarily transited through Malaysia before being sent to destination countries such as India, Vietnam, and others," he told The Star.
Image via Bernama/FMT
Here are the four main reasons why animal smuggling has become so rampant
Firstly, social media platforms have become the go-to medium for online wildlife sales, Nik Nazmi highlighted. More sales on these platforms mean higher rates of smuggling.
Secondly, with the country facing economic challenges, many are tempted to become smuggling mules in exchange for cash and travel rewards.
Third, there's a strong demand in certain regions in India where wildlife is often kept as pets.
Fourth, increased flight connectivity and favourable tourism policies make Malaysia a common target for such activities, according to theSun.
KLIA Terminals 1 and 2 are the prime locations for these activities
Traffickers often prefer air transport because it offers low risk, high speed, and greater profits.
This is exacerbated by the fact that Malaysian airports still lack advanced bio-detection technologies such as carbon dioxide sensors and heartbeat detectors.
Image via Kereta Sewa KLIA 1 & 2
There's a list of popular animals being smuggled to India
Nik Nazmi said some of the wildlife most frequently smuggled into India include the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans), green iguana (also known as the American iguana), African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata), and the green tree python (Morelia viridis).
He also noted that primates like the Siamang, white-handed gibbon, and agile gibbon, along with birds such as the Bali myna, are also in high demand among wildlife smugglers.
How serious have these activities become?
According to Consumers' Association of Penang, between April 2024 and March 2025, there were 11 known wildlife smuggling cases. These involved turtles, iguanas, koel birds, gibbons, and other rare species.
The smuggling destinations included cities like Bengaluru, Surabaya, Chennai, Hanoi, Port Blair, and Mumbai — with India making up nearly 73% of these cases. Notably, four incidents were recorded at Chennai Airport alone.
Authorities are working hard to curb these crimes with multiple bodies joining forces
According to The Star, in response to the increasing number of wildlife smuggling cases involving India, Nik Nazmi explained that the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) is partnering with the police's Wildlife Crime Bureau (WCB) and Interpol.
"The police are currently conducting further investigations and uncovering wildlife smuggling activities abroad, based on recent arrest cases involving foreign nationals, particularly from India."
"The WCB and Interpol have also launched further investigations with assistance from the Indian authorities to uncover the smuggling crime network," he added.
To tackle smuggling efforts more broadly, Perhilitan is also collaborating with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) and the Customs Department to strengthen enforcement at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
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