The Smuggling Of 81 Animals In Sorong Harbor Is Thwarted, There Are Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Cenderawasih To Red Bayan

Joint officers from the Sorong Harbor Police and the West Papua BBKSDA Gakkum Task Force thwart an attempt to smuggle protected wildlife out of Papua at the Sorong port on Wednesday (20/4/2022). ANTARA/HO- Sorong City Police Public Relations

SORONG - Joint officers from the Sorong Harbor Police and the Gakkum Task Force from the West Papua Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) thwarted efforts to smuggle protected wildlife out of Papua.

As many as 81 protected wild animals were successfully secured at the Port of Sorong when they were about to be smuggled from Jayapura to Surabaya with KM Labobar, Wednesday, April 20.

Evidence of protected wildlife that was successfully secured was as many as 8 birds of paradise, 7 yellow-crested cockatoos, 2 mambruk tails, and as many as 11 red parrots.

In addition, there were 11 black parrots, 8 rattlesnakes, 32 black-headed red parrots, 1 Papuan butcher, 1 king musk.

The Head of the Sorong Port Police, Ipda Rifki Istanto, said that the dozens of protected wildlife were successfully secured when the authorities carried out routine surveillance when the ship docked at the port. And strengthened by information from the BKSDA Gakkum Task Force.

The wildlife evidence was found on Deck 7 KM Labobar from Jayapura to Sorong - Ternate - Ambon and Surabaya.

"We have also secured one of the perpetrators, a male with the initials HTP, who works as a ship's Deck 7 janitor for further investigation," he said.

The protected wild animals were brought by the BKSDA Gakum Task Force for safekeeping in a safe place because it was feared that the birds of paradise would experience stress and could die.