KEDAH (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysia's Border Security Agency rescued 109 pangolins from a village house in the state of Kedah on Friday (Dec 30).

The animals were found in sacks, which were covered in nets, inside a shed beside the house in Kampung Kubang Airang, Titi Kerbau.

Most of the pangolins were alive when they were seized at noon.

The young ones weighed about 1kg each, while the adult pangolins weighed about 6kg each.

The Kedah agency's commander Abdul Latif Abd Rahman said the animals, worth a total of RM196,200 (S$63,295), were bound for Thailand, to be served up as an exotic dish.

The owner of the house was arrested near his home, he said, adding that the 49-year-old suspect admitted to keeping the animals while they were on transit from Penang to Thailand.

The suspect said the pangolins were supposed to be picked up by Thai nationals, who would smuggle them into Thailand where they can fetch up to RM300 per kilo, said Commander Abdul Latif.

The pangolins will be handed over to the Wildlife Department, he added.