Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — A Vietnamese man pleaded guilty in a Malaysian court on Friday to possessing protected wildlife parts without a license, his lawyer said.
Hoang Van Thai, 39, was accused of possessing 1,022 gall bladders and 191 tongue parts from a protected species, Python reticulatus, at a property in southern Johor state.
These items were among wildlife parts found by the Wildlife Department during a raid on 4 April, which was estimated to be worth about 37 million ringgit ($9.3 million). The seizures included python gall bladders and other parts, bear bile, suspected tiger parts, primate remains and reproductive organs believed to be linked to the illegal international wildlife trade.
It is unclear why Hoang was charged only with the python parts. The python bile contained in the gallbladder is believed to have medicinal properties, while the tongue is used in traditional rituals or as an aphrodisiac.
Defense lawyer Mohammad Fazali Ali Mohammad Ghazali said he disputed the wildlife department’s assessment in court because there was no documentation to support it. He said Hoang had come to Malaysia in November and worked as a driver while his two children were studying in Malaysia.
Hoang will be sentenced at a later date, facing up to three years in prison, a fine or both. The court will verify his immigration status on April 20 before ruling on his bail. Prosecutors objected to bail, saying the large quantity of items seized indicated an organized activity.
Johor Malaysia Nature Society adviser Vincent Chow was quoted by The Star English-language newspaper as saying that Hoang may have worked as a stockist for a large syndicate.
“Most of the seized wildlife parts have already been processed and some have even been packed, possibly waiting to be shipped to the local or international market,” he said.
Malaysia is a major center of illegal wildlife trade, serving as both a source and transit point for trafficked species due to the demand for exotic animals and their parts.
