Kapar: Police seized a Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) bird of prey estimated to be worth RM100,000 in a raid at Taman Sungai Kapar Indah, Kapar, Selangor yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the bird, which was suspected of being kept without a license, was seized in Op Bersepadu Khazanah by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) Intelligence Branch in collaboration with the Selangor Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan). The operation also led to the arrest of a 21-year-old man at a residence around 9.40 pm that night.

FRU commander SAC Rosli Md Yusof reported that the suspect failed to produce any authorisation documents to own, keep, or preserve the wildlife during the inspection. He noted that the seizure of this species is considered a rare case within wildlife enforcement operations in the country, though confirmation is pending based on Perhilitan's official records.

The case is currently being investigated under Section 68 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716), and the suspect has been released on bail to allow Perhilitan Selangor to complete the investigation. The Black-winged Kite is a bird of prey from the Accipitridae family, widely distributed across Africa, tropical Asia, and parts of Europe. It is identifiable by its white and grey body, black wing markings, and red eyes, and typically inhabits open areas where it hunts small animals like rats.

Rosli emphasized that the success of the operation was due to information sharing and close cooperation between PDRM and Perhilitan to combat illegal wildlife ownership and exploitation. He affirmed that PDRM, through the FRU, will continue to strengthen strategic cooperation with Perhilitan and related enforcement agencies, and any information on illegal wildlife ownership, smuggling, or trading activities will be thoroughly investigated with appropriate action taken.