KLHK Strict Sanctions Perpetrators Of Sale And Purchase Pangolin Scales

The KLHK team arrested three suspects in connection with the circulation and trading of 57 kilograms of truncation scales in West Kalimantan. (ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Environment and Forestry)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) threatens to impose strict sanctions on everyone who makes buying and selling pangolin scales in Indonesia.

Director General of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Rasio Ridho Sani, said that environmental losses due to hunting and trading in pangolins were very large.

"Trengolins (Manis javanica) have an important role in maintaining the balance of natural ecosystems. Pangolins eat termites, ants, and other insects," said Rasio as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, June 15.

On June 7, 2023, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry together with the West Kalimantan Regional Police and the West Kalimantan BKSDA thwarted the circulation and trading of 57 kilogram pangolin scales in West Kalimantan.

A joint team arrested three people with the initials FAP, MR, and MND for the case. They have been detained at the West Kalimantan Police detention center for further processing.

Based on the calculation of economic evaluation carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry together with experts from the Bogor Agricultural Institute, each pangolin has an economic value related to the environment of IDR 50.6 million.

A total of one kilogram on the pangolin side comes from four live pangolins, so to get 57 kilograms on the pangolin side it is estimated that 228 pangolins have been killed.

Thus, economically environmental losses due to the killing of pangolins reached Rp11.5 billion.

On May 25, 2023, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry together with the Customs and Excise of Southern Kalimantan and the South Kalimantan BKSDA also uncovered the crime of protected animals by confiscating as many as 360 kilograms of pangolin scales in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

The joint team arrested two people with the initials AP and MR. They have been named suspects in the 360 kilograms pangolin scales trading case.

According to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the loss from the 360 kilogram trade crime on pangolin scales came from the murder of approximately 1,440 pangolins with a valuation value of Rp72.8 billion.

The ratio of said that the network of hunting crimes, smuggling, and trading of pangolin scales is indicated to be related to cross-border crime networks.

According to him, crimes against pangolins are serious and organized crimes and have caused enormous damage to the environment and the country.

"We must stop this network of crimes and take firm action. The perpetrators must be punished optimally so that there is a deterrent and fair trial," said Rasio.

His party ordered investigators to dismantle animal crime network syndicates, including encouraging the implementation of investigations into money laundering (TPPU) in order to target the perpetrators and the main beneficiaries of the crime.

"The success of disclosing this case is a joint work between law enforcement and evidence of the government's commitment to protecting Indonesia's biodiversity," concluded Rasio.