JB restaurant serving monitor lizard, boar meat busted

JOHOR BARU: A restaurant at Jalan Tanjung Masai here, which appeared “ordinary” from the outside, was actually serving exotic meat like wild boar and the Malayan water monitor lizard – both protected species.

Tipped-off to the illegal business, 18 Seri Alam district police headquarters (IPD) personnel and General Operations Force (PGA) 3rd Battalion members; and seven Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) Johor officers busted the restaurant at 1pm on Tuesday.

Perhilitan Johor director, Salman Saaban, said seven plastic (packets) of suspected water monitor lizard meat and two plastic containers of suspected wild boar meat were found in a freezer.

“They were (sold to diners seeking) the exotic meat. A detailed investigation is being conducted to determine when the restaurant started serving the exotic menu, and its supply source,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said the 57-year-old restaurant proprietor lacked the documentation or Perhilitan license to possess wild animals. In addition, one of his workers from India had invalid travel documents.

He said the suspects are under police custody at the Seri Alam IPD; and that the case is being investigated under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) for not being able to provide documents required for possession of wildlife.

Source: NST