Malaysia sees spike in exotic animal smuggling cases

The smuggling of exotic wildlife from Malaysia to India is driven by several factors, such as demand in regions where wildlife is often kept as pets. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

UPDATED May 19, 2025, 10:35 AM

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PETALING JAYA - Economic hardship and growing online sale of wildlife through social media platforms are among key factors that have led to the increase in the smuggling of exotic animals in Malaysia .

As a result, the country has ­inadvertently been used as a place of transit.

Referring to several recent cases, Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environ­mental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the smuggling of exotic wildlife to India is driven by several factors, such as a demand in certain regions in the country where wildlife is often kept as pets.

“Malaysia is one of the countries with a supply of local and exotic wildlife that attracts smugglers (main players) in India,” he told The Star.

“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.”