The Smuggling Of Protected Animals From Papua Was Thwarted By The Indonesian Navy In Banjarmasin

Danlanal Banjarmasin Marine Colonel (P) Herbiyantoko (in front two left) when explaining the disclosure of smuggling protected animals from Papua. (ANTARA/Firman)

BANJARMASIN - The Banjarmasin Navy Base, South Kalimantan, thwarted the smuggling of dozens of protected animals from Papua to be sent to Probolinggo, East Java, using the MV Vision Global ship. "We made arrests when the ship anchored and will carry out loading and unloading in the waters of the Pangkalan Bun estuary, Central Kalimantan, on Saturday," said the Commander of the Indonesian Navy Base (Lanal) Banjarmasin Marine Colonel (P) Herbiyantoko in Banjarmasin, Antara, Sunday, October 23. The evidence of the animals that were secured in the operation included seven king black older brothers, 23 yellow guava white brothers, one forest log, one gold cucak, 36 black head parrots, three old or dumb brothers, one Papuan slaughter, one pleci, one branjangan, and two kasuari. In addition, officers also found 12 other animals in the form of turtles, one green snake, and one sack of deer horn. Herbiyantoko explained that initially the Banjarmasin Lanal intelligence team received information on the alleged shipment of protected animals of several types of birds and turtles from Bade Port, Mappi Regency, Papua, with the aim of Probolinggo being loaded with the MV Vision Global ship. From this information, the Banjarmasin Lanal Marine Security Patrol team and the Banjarmasin Intel Mandau L 22 Operations Task Force Alpha Team carried out a sea search to find the ship suspected of carrying the protected animal until it was found and inspected. Danlanal said there were six MV crew members. Vision Global was also secured, namely the initials BD, HF, MR, IR, AM, and BM. The evidence of the endangered and protected animal was then handed over to the Center for Conservation of Natural Resources (BKSDA) of Central Kalimantan Province for further legal proceedings. The perpetrators who were arrested were charged with Article 21 paragraph 2 letter (a) in conjunction with Article 40 paragraph 2 of Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems with a maximum prison sentence of 5 years and a fine of Rp. 100 million. Danlanal expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the elements that helped secure territorial waters from illegal activities until the disclosure of the smuggling of protected animals. He added that routine patrols will be further improved by the Banjarmasin Lanal as an early prevention and detection of all kinds of vulnerabilities as ordered by the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Yudo Margono to maintain the trust of the state and people in the Navy through useful real work.