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Teo was charged for taking part in a conspiracy to site visitors in additional than 70kg of rhinoceros horns valued at greater than US$725,000, in keeping with an announcement by the US Division of Justice. — Reuters pic
Sunday, 09 Oct 2022 11:54 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — America (US) extradited an alleged Malaysian wildlife trafficker Teo Boon Ching for unlawful wildlife components operations and cash laundering.
Teo, 57, was charged for taking part in a conspiracy to site visitors in additional than 70kg of rhinoceros horns valued at greater than US$725,000 (RM3.3 million), in keeping with an announcement by the US Division of Justice.
As well as, Teo (with a Datuk Seri title) was charged with laundering the proceeds of his unlawful rhinoceros horn gross sales, it mentioned.
“Teo was charged with one rely of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking, which carries a most sentence of 5 years in jail, and two counts of cash laundering, which carries a most sentence of 20 years in jail,” the assertion mentioned.
Teo was arrested in Thailand on June 29 “on the request of the USA pursuant to our bilateral extradition treaty,” it added.
He was extradited to the US on Friday (Oct 7) to face his expenses.
Earlier Friday, Teo and his related entities had been sanctioned by the US Treasury Division Workplace of International Property Management (OFAC).
The assertion mentioned Teo was the chief of a transnational legal enterprise — the “Enterprise” — primarily based in Asia with important operations in Malaysia and Thailand which engaged within the large-scale worldwide trafficking and smuggling of rhinoceros horns ensuing from the poaching of quite a few endangered rhinoceros.
“Ching (Teo) served as a specialised smuggler, transporting rhinoceros horns from rhinoceros poaching operations primarily in Africa to the eventual clients primarily in Asia. He additionally claimed to have the ability to ship rhinoceros horns to the US,” the assertion mentioned. — Bernama
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