JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) has secured a wildlife trader who was caught with 24 protected bird species in North Sulawesi (Sulut).
"We will find out more about who the financier and his network are," said Head of the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency (Gakkum) for the Sulawesi Region, Ali Bahri, in a statement confirmed from Jakarta, Thursday, quoted by Antara.
He explained that the Regional Forestry Gakkum Office of Sulawesi detained AA (34), the suspect of the protected animal owner, after receiving a report from the community to the North Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) regarding the findings and trade of protected wildlife.
From the hands of the perpetrator, 24 protected animals were seized consisting of 14 Kakatua Koki (Cacatua galerita) birds, five Kakatua Raja (Probosciger aterrimus) birds, three Single-necked Cassowary or Golden-necked Cassowary (Casuarius unappendiculatus), one Ubiaat (Goura critata) and one Bondol Eagle (Haliastur indus).
All the birds were found alive.
From the information provided by the suspect AA, all protected animals were obtained from hunters at the Sorong Port, South West Papua, and will be sold in Bitung City at a certain price range.
AA is suspected of violating the provisions of Article 40 A paragraph (1) letter d jo. Article 21 paragraph (2) letter a of Law Number 32 of 2024 concerning amendments to Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning the Conservation of Natural Living Resources and their Ecosystems.
He is threatened with a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
Head of the North Sulawesi BKSDA Danny Pattipeilohy in a similar statement said that his party would fully support the legal process carried out by the Forestry Gakkum and would continue to carry out activities to monitor the circulation of Plants and Wildlife (TSL) together with the Forestry Gakkum of Sulawesi Region and other stakeholders.
"We also thank the community, TNI, Polri and the Regional Forestry Gakkum Office of Sulawesi, for the collaboration that continues to be built in order to combat the illegal circulation of illegal TSL in North Sulawesi", said Danny Pattipeilohy.
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