Customs officer charged with misappropriating seized pangolin scales

SHAH ALAM: A Customs officer has been charged here with misappropriating pangolin scales from a marine enforcement store in North Port.

Ahmad Hilmi Ghazali, 51, was charged under Section 403 of the Penal Code for misappropriation of property at the Sessions Court here on Friday (May 31).

He was accused of having induced his colleague, Customs personnel Mohd Aliff Omar, to hand over the pangolin scales, which had been previously seized by the department.

Ahmad Hilmi, who is from Kuala Muda, Kedah, was alleged to have committed the offence between September and October 2019.

According to the charge sheet, the scales were supposed to have been handed over to the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) as the enforcement agency appointed under the International Trade in Endangered Species 2008.

Ahmad Hilmi now faces up to five years in jail and whipping, with the possibility of a fine.

It was previously reported that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) Anti-Money Laundering had arrested an enforcement officer last year under a special operation codenamed Op Jaguar.

It was reported that Op Jaguar, which was carried out in Klang and Kuala Lumpur, saw a seizure of close to two tonnes of pangolin scales, valued at RM23.4mil.

The scales were believed to have been smuggled into the country before being sent to China and other countries.

Various luxury cars were also confiscated and several bank accounts with millions of ringgit frozen.