Thanks To Residents' Reports, The Ministry Of Transportation Failed To Buy And Sell 48 Golden Junai Birds

Several protected gold junai birds (Caloenas nicocarica) were secured by the Ministry of Law and Forestry from the wildlife trade in Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi. ANTARA/HO-Kemenhut

The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) succeeded in dismantling the illegal trade of 48 protected gold junai birds (Caloenas nicocarica) and securing the perpetrators of undocumented trade in Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi.

"This activity is a form of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and community support as a voluntary supervisor who cares about the preservation of protected animals owned by the state of Indonesia," said Director General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) of the Ministry of Law and Forestry Dwi Januanto Nugroho in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, September 24.

The operation was carried out by the Sulawesi Region Forestry Law Enforcement Center together with the South Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA) and the South Sulawesi Regional Police after a series of investigations into public reports and findings of animal offering posts on the perpetrator's online business account with the initials L.

Head of the Balai Gakkum Forestry for the Sulawesi Region of the Ministry of Forestry, Ali Bahri, said that his party had secured perpetrators of the trade in protected wildlife and confiscated 48 gold junai birds as evidence.

"The results of the initial examination, the perpetrator admitted to getting birds from fellow community members of the Langka Bird to be kept until adulthood before being resold through social media. In the past year, the perpetrator admitted that he had sold eight protected animals," said Ali Bahri.

From the evidence of the perpetrator's cellphone, investigators found animal offerings on the suspect's social media account. The testimony of expert witnesses from BBKSDA South Sulawesi confirmed that the bird's status was included in the Appendix I Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

L is now named a suspect and is threatened with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of IDR 5 billion. Currently, the suspect is being held at the Directorate of Detention and Evidence (Dittahti) of the South Sulawesi Police for further investigation.

All animals that are secured are given to the South Sulawesi BBKSDA for medical treatment, treatment, and rehabilitation efforts according to conservation standards.

“Balai Gakkum Kehutanan Wilayah Sulawesi tetap berkomitmen melakukan penegakan hukum kepada oknum pelaku yang menampung dan memperdagangkan satwa burung dilindungi – terutama jaringan/sindikat antar pulau. Ini akan terus kita tindak sesuai hukum yang berlaku,” ujar Ali Bahri.

"Balai Gakkum Kehutanan Wilayah Sulawesi tetap berkomitmen melakukan penegakan hukum kepada oknum pelaku yang menampung dan memperdagangkan satwa burung dilindungan terutama jaringan/sindikat antar pulau. Ini akan terus kita tindakan sesuai hukum yang berlaku," ujar Ali Bahri.