PETALING JAYA, Aug 2 —Two of the four suspects detained in raids by the Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia Department last week have been sentenced to two years jail each at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.

Indian nationals Nagoor Kani Kamal Basha, 34, and Nizamudeen Shamshudeen, 39, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession without documents and causing pain to 36 Black Pond Turtles under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act716).

The first charge was under Section 70 for keeping 25 female turtles without a permit, an offence that carried a two-year jail term, with a second charge of keeping 11 male turtles without a permit under Section 68 (1)(a), which also carries a similar penalty.

They were also charged under Section 86 (1)(c) for cramming the turtles into four luggage bags, causing them pain and suffering which carried an additional three months jail.

The offence was committed in a room at Happy Holiday Hotel in Jalan Lou Chung off Jalan Tun Perak here at 1am last Tuesday.

However, Judge Harmi Thamri Mohamad @Shaharudin reduced their sentence to two years after the duo claimed in mitigation to be the sole breadwinners of their families.

Harmi ruled their sentences would begin from the date of arrest.

Department prosecuting officer Nazarudin Kamarudin said the turtles had been brought into the country from the Indian sub-continent.

He urged that the maximum sentence be imposed as the reptiles posed a health risk due to the fact they could spread infectious diseases.

The duo were picked up in raids by the department’s wildlife crime unit following smuggling network surveillance.

A total of 1,070 turtles were recovered making it the biggest bust of its kind in the country.

Meanwhile, two other Indian nationals, Ayub Khan Nazeer, 36, and Jaffar Sadik, 32, claimed trial to separate charges of possession without documentation and causing pain and suffering to 1,011 Indian Star Tortoises.

The offence was allegedly committed at a flat in Taman Sri Aman, Cheras, at about 7pm last Monday. 

Judge Manira Mohd Nor fixed bail at RM10,000 each.