Hundreds Of Illegal Hias Plants From Malaysia Were Secured By The Police And The Batam BKP

JAKARTA - Hundreds of ornamental plants without valid documents from Malaysia were secured by the Directorate of Water and Air Police of the Riau Islands Regional Police together with the Batam Class I Agricultural Quarantine Office. The plant was carried by two people with the initials RK (27) and HS (27).

The arrests were made when the two men arrived at the Batam Center International Port, Batam City, Riau Islands, on Friday, September 16 evening.

"From the RK, we got 164 ornamental flower plants of the aglaonema type, 54 ornamental flower plants of the anthurium type, 11 ornamental flower plants of the type of Syngonium, and 10 ornamental flower plants of the type philodendron", said Head of the Sub-Directorate of Law Enforcement of the Riau Islands Police Ditpolairud Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Police Sudarsono quoted from ANTARA, Saturday, September 17.

Meanwhile, from HS, added Sudarsono, officers received 110 ornamental flower plants of the aglaonema type and 35 ornamental flower plants of the anthurium type.

Sudarsono explained that the two men were arrested by officers at the Batam Center International Port because they could not show the official documents issued by the Malaysian Government.

"The two of them did not complete the Health Certificate from their home country (Malaysia) upon arrival at the Batam Center International Port, as stipulated in Law Number 21 of 2019 concerning Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine", he said.

Sudarsono emphasized that the two perpetrators were not a gang even though they were arrested at the same time and place.

"They are not a gang, coincidentally they both brought the plant", he added.

Currently, the two perpetrators have been arrested and taken to the Mako Polairud of the Riau Islands Police for further questioning with officers from Batam Agricultural Quarantine.