TWO wildlife smugglers were released yesterday after agreeing to pay a fine of 40 million riel (US$10,000) to the local authorities. Puth Sovann, 26, and May Doeun, 31, were arrested a day earlier in Kandal province’s Sa’ang district while transporting 285 kilogrammes of endangered animals from Takhmao to the Vietnam border. The men were freed because they “admitted their mistakes and agreed to pay a 40 million riel fine within two weeks”, said Kuy Visedh, project manager of the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team. He said the confiscated wildlife, which included snakes and turtles, had been handed over to the Forestry Administration for release around the Tonle Sap Lake.