2 years in jail for 22 tiger deaths?

A man convicted in Malaysia for the possession of 8 skins and 22 bags of tiger skulls and bones will only face 24 months in jail.
Mohd Nor Shahrizam Nasir, found guilty of two charges of illegal possession of tiger parts and one for possession of African Elephant ivory (9 tusks) was sentenced to 60 months in prison, however he will only serve 24 months in jail as the judge ordered that his sentences run concurrently.

A conviction of this kind should face a jail term “not exceeding five years” with a fine “not less than £20,000 and no more than £100,000 – However, Mohd Nor Shahrizam Nasir does not face a fine.
His bail was set at £14,000 but has been increased by a further £2,000. If he raises bail he will be free pending his appeal.

“This is shocking given that the mandatory fine is explicitly stated in the Act. It is also disappointing considering it has taken 13 years of hard work and the effort of so many to include a punitive minimum fine for heinous wildlife crimes,” said TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Regional Director Dr William Schaedla.

Schaedla also disagreed with the argument raised by the defence during the trial; that the crime in question was insignificant because it did not involve loss of life.

“Such arguments fail to recognize that the arrest in this case was linked to the largest tiger seizure Malaysia has ever seen – eight skins and the skulls and bones of 22 tigers were impounded from the culprit’s Alor Star residence,” he said.

“It also contradicts recent international developments that are putting wildlife crime on a par with other serious crimes such as drugs and arms smuggling and human trafficking.”

This has come as awful news to TigerTime. Wildlife crime must be taken seriously by authorities and sentences like this that do not even follow the guidelines are incredibly disappointing.

Punishments need to deter wildlife criminals from carrying out these horrific crimes – this case has not done this.

The fight is on to put an end to the trade in ALL tiger parts from ALL sources. You can help by signing our petition www.bantigertrade.com and asking friends and family to do the same.