KLHK Secures Traders Who Sell 1,752 Illegal Birds

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry's (KLHK) Security and Law Enforcement Center (KLHK) succeeded in thwarting efforts to trade 1,752 wild bird species.

Thousands of birds were secured by the Operation Team to Control the Circulation of Wild Plants and Animals (TSL) Section II Pekanbaru in two locations. The first is on Jalan Lintas Timur Sumatra Km 57 and Km 55, Mekar Jaya Village, Pangkalan Kerinci District, Pelalawan Regency, Riau Province. All the birds are packed in 64 baskets and 1 cage.

The head of the Sumatra Region Gakkum KLHK, Eduward Hutapea, explained that currently the team was detaining the perpetrator with the initials TDR and a black Toyota Innova car.

"Currently we are examining the TDR intensively. We also examined SR who claimed to be the owner of the bird. SR claims to have a license as a bird dealer. However, after we coordinated with the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA), the permit was not appropriate, "said Eduward in an official statement quoted on Monday, July 20.

He said, for further examination, 1,752 birds in 64 baskets and 1 cage, and the TDR were secured at the Pekanbaru Region II Section Office, the Gakkum Hall, KLHK Sumatra.

Eduward explained, this operation was carried out starting from public information about the alleged shipment of protected species. The Gakkum KLHK Sumatra Team immediately headed for the first location on Jalan Lintas Timur Sumatra Km 57, Mekar Jaya Village, Pangkalan Kerinci District, Pelalawan Regency.

At around 21.10 WIB, the Team stopped and examined the black Toyota Kijang Innova driven by TDR, and found 53 baskets containing birds.

Then the Team moved to the second location on Jalan Lintas Timur Sumatra Km 55, Mekar Jaya Village, Pangkalan Kerinci District, Pelalawan Regency, and at around 22.05 WIB, the Team stopped and then checked the Rhema Abadi bus, and found 11 baskets and 1 cage containing birds.

From the results of identification by BBKSDA Riau, the birds found in the Toyota Innova car were entirely unprotected, while the Rhema Abadi bus found 17 protected species from the Green Cuca species, but the owners were not found because the baskets were packages sent from someone to Lampung.

"This action shows that even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, KLHK officials continue to work to protect Indonesia's biological wealth from criminals," explained Eduward.

Director of Forest Prevention and Security at the Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the Environment and Forestry, Sustyo Iriono in Jakarta, said that the KLHK team both from Gakkum and from the KSDAE continued to take steps to stop crimes that threaten Indonesia's biological wealth.

"We must protect our biological wealth, because these animals are important to maintain the function of our ecosystem. We remind the perpetrators of crimes against animals, we will act decisively," said Sustyo.