Ministry Of Environment And Forestry Confiscated 300 Kilograms Of Illegal Deer Meat In Labuan Bajo

A pickup truck that was secured while loading hundreds of kilograms of venison illegally in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Directorate General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) confiscated as much as 300 kilograms of venison in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, which was to be illegally shipped to Bima, West Nusa Tenggara.

"300 kg of deer meat detained is equivalent to 30 deer thought to have come from the Komodo National Park," said the head of the Gakkum Center for the Java-Bali-Nusa Tenggara Region M Nur in a statement received in Kupang, reported by Antara, Sunday, December 27. .

Hundreds of kilos of venison were confiscated on Monday, December 7 when they were about to be taken from Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, Flores Island to Bima, West Nusa Tenggara which is a neighboring region.

He explained that the confiscation began with the suspicion of the joint operation team in the framework of Christmas and New Year from the Jabalnusra KLHK Gakkum Hall when they learned of a shipment of meat wrapped in 7 boxes.

The joint operations team then contacted investigators at the Pos Gakkum KLHK Labuan Bajo to examine and investigate.

From the results of the investigation, a suspect has been determined to have violated Article 21 Paragraph 2 Letter d Jo. Article 40 Paragraph 2 of Law No. 5/1990 concerning Conservation of Natural Resources and their Ecosystems, with a maximum 5 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rp100 million.

Evidence in the form of 300 kg of venison, 1 pickup, along with the STNK, 1 cellphone and SIM card, was secured and deposited at the West Manggarai Police for further investigation.

Nur added that his party suspected that the deer meat was the result of hunting in the Komodo National Park area because the population is more in the leading tourism area.

"We will develop an investigation into this case to find out who is the financier of the hunting of protected animals," he said.

He emphasized that the population of deer, buffalo and other animals in Komodo National Park must be preserved because it is one of the important feeds of Komodo dragons as the highest predators and to maintain the balance of their ecosystem.

"Any actions that can disturb and threaten the preservation of the Komodo dragon's habitat must be dealt with firmly. Likewise with marine biota and habitat, it is also our concern to maintain their integrity," he said.