MUAR, MALAYSIA: Marine police here detained two men and seized 42 pangolins during an operation in the Malacca Straits on Sunday.

The men, aged 24 and 46, were caught when two marine police patrol vessels intercepted a high-powered boat about 3.5 nautical miles off Parit Jawa at around 12.50am.

Initial investigations revealed that the men, from Serom and Parit Bakar, brought the pangolins from Bengkalis in Sumatra for sale to certain parties here.

The animals, which are highly priced in the black market, have been valued at more than RM100,000.

Muar marine police base commanding officer Asst Supt Mohamad Pouzi said the men would be charged with smuggling a protected animal and the pangolins handed over to the Wildlife Department.

ASP Muhamad Pouzi believes that syndicates are smuggling protected animals from Indonesia.

He said this was the second time Muar marine police had detained wildlife smugglers.

On Sept 9, eight men were detained off Sungai Sarang Buaya near Sungai Balang for trying to bring in 16 pangolins from Indonesia.