East Java Police Dismantle The Practice Of Buying And Selling Hundreds Of Protected Animals

Sub-directorate IV of Certain Crimes (Tipidter), Ditreskrimsus Polda East Java uncovers the practice of selling 304 protected animals/PHOTO: Public Relations of East Java Police

SURABAYA - Sub-Directorate IV of Certain Crimes (Tipidter), Ditreskrimsus Polda East Java uncovered the practice of selling 304 protected animals. In this case, two people were named as suspects, namely the initials ZAI and APP.

The Head of Public Relations of the East Java Police, Kombes Dirmanto, explained that this disclosure was the success of the Sub-Directorate IV of certain criminal acts of the East Java Police Ditreskrimsus in handling cases of natural resource conservation in the last three months of June, July and August 2022.

"We handled five cases, then from the case disclosures we also arrested five suspects. Two of these people are trafficking protected animals, and three people are those who control protected animals," said Kombes Dirmanto in Surabaya, Friday, 26

The two suspects were arrested after being proven to have, maintain, store and trade or trade in protected animals. Unmitigated, from the disclosure of this case, the police managed to confiscate evidence of hundreds of protected animals of various types.

"Regarding the BAP that we have received, at the moment we have secured 304 animals. It is still being traded domestically and it has not been proven that any are traded outside Indonesia," said Wadirreskrimsus Polda Jatim AKBP Zulham Efendy.

Zulham explained, to launch the business of buying and selling these animals, the suspects had prepared a special and hidden place.

"So they have a special place. If we look at the animals in front of us, these are rare animals and need special treatment," he said.

The suspects sold the various types of animals at varying prices. Starting from Rp. 500 thousand to the most expensive, it can reach Rp. 20 million.

"If we look at the birds of paradise, it can be valued at up to Rp. 20 million. Because the birds are rare, there are not many of them," he said.

According to Zulham, the two suspects who were arrested were selling wild animals through social media. In addition, they also often sell to members of the community who love protected animals.

"They sell online and some also sell as a community. Indeed, there are many people who have a hobby of raising animals in front of us. So they are one community and sell online," he said.

The suspects will be charged with Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems.