Custom officials hold up seized pangolin scales at Kuala Lumpur airport customs complex in Sepang May 8, 2017. Pangolin scales shipped to Malaysia were usually sent on to Vietnam and China, Mr Rozidan said. The value of pangolin scales varied according to regions but could fetch up to 1,500 ringgit ($346) a kg on the Malaysian black market, he added. Global trade in pangolin scales is banned under a UN convention, but they are prized in some Asian countries for use in traditional medicines. Last month, Thai authorities seized nearly three tonnes of pangolin scales from Africa at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Source: Bangkok Post May 08, 2017 07:30 UTC