Smuggling Of Hundreds Of Reptiles At Sorong Airport, West Papua Foiled, Police Investigate The Involvement Of 'insiders'

SORONG - The West Papua Province Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA) together with the Sorong City Police have thwarted an attempt to smuggle protected wildlife at Domine Eduard Osok Airport, Sorong City, Wednesday, March 30.

The wild animals that were secured were reptiles with 29 blue-tailed monitor lizards, 5 cape flower monitor lizards, 21 blue-spotted tree monitor lizards, 37 green monitor lizards, and 4 Maluku monitor lizards.

In addition, there was one Papuan lizard, 17 green pythons, one ground boa, one irian python, 30 beby albertisi snakes, and 11 tree boas.

The evidence of hundreds of reptiles was immediately secured by West Papua Center for Natural Resources Conservation (BBKSDA) officers for data collection and health checks before being handed over to the police for further legal proceedings.

Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of Sorong City Police, Iptu Ach. Elsyarif Martadinata when confirmed confirmed this. Evidence of dozens of reptiles is currently in the West Papua BBKSDA, for data collection.

"We are also still investigating the involvement of people in airport officials in this smuggling effort," he said as quoted by Antara.

It is said that his party will carry out legal proceedings against the perpetrators, both those who sent the reptiles and those who ordered them to be sent.