KKP-Customs Fails To Smuggle 30,911 Lobster Fry To Singapore

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) and the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance foiled the smuggling of 30,911 shrimp or lobster fry at Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, East Java.

"The plan was to bring it to Singapore, but our synergy with Customs and Excise friends managed to prevent this crime," said Head of the Surabaya Fish Quarantine, Quality Control and Fishery Products Safety (BKIPM) I Suprayogi, quoted by Antara, Saturday, May 14.

Suprayogi explained that the fry, which will be transported using a Scoot Tiger Air aircraft, consist of 26,895 types of sand and 4,016 types of pearls. For the purposes of the trial, the officers set aside as many as 600 fry.

"The perpetrator with the initials S has been detained by Customs and Excise friends and will be investigated," said Suprayogi.

After the enumeration was carried out, BKIPM Surabaya I coordinated with the Denpasar Coastal and Marine Resources Management Center (BPSPL) of the East Java Regional Office. This coordination is for the selection of the location for the release of the fry while maintaining its sustainability.

Yogi reminded the criminal threat for the perpetrators. As stated in Article 92 in conjunction with Article 26 paragraph 1 of Law (UU) Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation as an Amendment to Law Number 45 of 2009 and Law Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries, smugglers of fishery resources can be sentenced to eight years in prison.

"We remind you, do not try because the synergy between institutions is getting stronger which also means there is no room for smuggling," he said.

Previously, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, KKP confirmed his commitment to domestic lobster cultivation.

This is considered to be in line with the Regulation of the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Number 17 of 2020 which also prohibits the export of fry.