Smugglers Thousands Of Marine Life Protected Goals Singapore Arrested, There Are Starfish, Sea Rabbits To Tiger Snails

Police show protected marine life to be smuggled into Singapore ANTARA/HO Public Relations Barelang Police.

BATAM - Polairud Polresta Barelang arrested the perpetrators of smuggling thousands of protected marine life to Singapore from Batam, Riau Islands.

"The perpetrator who was arrested had the initials D (44 years old), he was a fisherman. D was arrested in the waters of Pemping Island, Behind Padang when he was about to cross to a neighboring country (Singapore)," said Head of Polairud Polresta Barelang Kompol Dwi Ramadhanto in Batam, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, August 26.

Dhanto said that the types of marine biota to be smuggled were 117 pieces of starfish, 11 coral crabs, 4 sea rabbits, 600 cow eye snails, 50 barking snails, 9 tiger snails, 51 sea urchins.

There are also 70 pieces of cinchona cactus, 264 pieces of soft coral, 209 pieces of hard coral, 815 pieces of nemo fish, 3 balogan fish, 10 kaci fish, 10 samba fish, 45 butterfly fish, 107 yellow clown goby fish, 12 cloves of garlic.

Then there were 1 angel fish, 3 lepu-lepu, 35 lancing tails, 55 black tails, 108 striped blontot, 34 snails, 69 lions, 39 blanks tails.

"With a total of 2,258 fishery resources and 473 types of sponges/coral that will be smuggled into Singapore," he said.

Dhanto explained that the incident began with information that said that there were frequent shipments of sponges and fish resources to be sent to Singapore illegally in the waters behind Padang.

After that, the team conducted an investigation by patrolling using a fast boat around the waters behind Padang at night, then the team saw 1 fast boat passing by with a suspicious cargo and then an inspection was carried out.

“During the inspection, it was found that the ship contained various types of sponges and fish resources which were planned to be sent to Singapore. Then the fast boat and the perpetrators were taken to the Barelang Police Satpolairud office for further examination, "he said.

Dhanto explained, according to information from the perpetrators of smuggling protected marine biota, this has often been done and there has been a relationship between the perpetrators and the existing reservoirs in Singapore. The perpetrators are charged with Article 40 paragraph (2) of Law no. 5 of 1990 concerning the Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems, with a penalty of 5 years imprisonment and a fine of Rp. 100,000,000 and Article 87 of Law no. 21/2019 concerning Fish, Animal and Plant Quarantine with a Penalty of 3 Years imprisonment and a fine of Rp. 3 billion.