Summary
- Tawau police, in partnership with several other agencies, carried out search warrants at two homes suspected of hosting illegal cockfights.
- Authorities have detained five individuals suspected of participating in illegal activities.
- Police discovered and seized hundreds of live birds, along with gaffs and medication.
A raid on a cockfighting operation in Malaysia led to the arrest of several people and the confiscation of hundreds of animals. Despite being referred to as a sport in some regions, cockfighting is banned in many countries worldwide because of its cruel practice, involving live animals fighting to the death.
Five people were arrested in two raids against cockfighting gambling activities
Two raids have been conducted at private residences in Tawau, Sabah, as reported by the New Straits Times. The operations were led by Bukit Aman's Wildlife Crime Bureau – Special Intelligence and Investigation Unit, in collaboration with the Tawau Police and officers from the Veterinary Service Department in Tawau. Members of the 14th Battalion of the General Operations Force also took part in the raids on Thursday. Datuk Seri Azmi Abu Kassim, the Director of Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order, stated that five individuals suspected of being involved in a cockfighting ring were arrested. The operation was initiated to tackle illegal cockfighting and gambling activities in Sabah, he told the local media. Authorities are currently investigating possible violations of Sections 55B, 39B, and 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act of 1959 and 1963, Section 6 of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act of 1958, and Section 15(1) of the Animal Enactment of 2015.
More than 600 cocks were found and seized
In one of the raids conducted at a house in Kampung Membalua off Jalan Apas in Tawau, police arrested a 57-year-old local man. At the scene, authorities seized a total of 152 live fighting cocks, suspected to be of Filipino breed. In a separate raid at a private residence in Kampung Apas Parit, Jalan Apas Parit in Tawau, police arrested four men—two Filipino and two Indonesian nationals—ranging in age from 31 to 52. During the operation, they uncovered and confiscated 470 fighting cocks. Additionally, police found 40 gaffs, which are sharp blades attached to the birds' feet. They also discovered hundreds of bottles and boxes of vitamins, other equipment, and 500 cockfighting coops and cages. The total estimated value of the seized items is RM3.3 million, approximately $780,000.
