JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) together with the North Sumatra Police thwarted the trade in pangolin scales (Manis javanica) weighing 22 kilograms by arresting two suspects in Medan.
Head of the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency (Gakkum) for the Sumatra Region, Hari Novianto, explained that the suspects DA and WA were secured on Thursday, April 2, starting from public information regarding the alleged sale of specimens or parts of pangolin scales in Medan Deli District, Medan City.
"The Forestry Agency will continue to investigate this case to uncover whether there are other intellectual actors involved in breaking the chain of selling protected animal parts in the form of pangolin scales in North Sumatra Province," Hari said in a statement confirmed from Jakarta, Thursday, quoted by Antara.
He said the suspect DA was secured with a brown cardboard box containing a white sack containing pangolin scales.
Meanwhile, WA and BS are known to monitor the situation outside and while officers are securing BS and DA, WA tries to resist by trying to escape from the officers.
DA, WA, and BS along with the evidence were then secured to the Office of Regional Section I of the Forestry Law Enforcement Agency for Sumatra Region in Medan for further processing.
After the investigation by the investigators and the results of the case title with the PPNS Korwas of the North Sumatra Police, it was determined that DA and WA were suspects and BS was temporarily used as a witness.
For their actions in the form of circulation and trade in plants and wildlife (TSL), DA and WA are threatened with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp5 billion.
"This TSL circulation operation activity is a manifestation of the commitment of the Forestry Gakkum in taking firm action against perpetrators of crimes against protected plants and wildlife in North Sumatra Province in the hope that it can have a deterrent effect on perpetrators," said Hari.
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