Trafficking In Animals Protected From South Sumatra, Police Defending Perpetrators And Forest Cats In Lampung

Kuwuk forest cat (ANTARA/HO)

The West Lampung Police Criminal Investigation Unit has succeeded in uncovering a case of illegal trade in wild species of forest cat or kuwuk cat on the Muaradua South Sumatra-Liwa Pekon (Village) route in Bandar Baru, Sukau District, West Lampung Regency.

"On Wednesday (February 22) around 11.00 WIB, we arrested a person with the initials ED (40), a resident of Sukaraja Village, Mekakau Ilir District, South Ogan Komering Ulu Regency (South Sumatra)," said Head of the West Lampung Police Criminal Investigation Unit AKP Ari Satriawan in West Lampung, Thursday, February 23, confiscated by Antara.

This disclosure began with information about the shipment of protected wildlife from Mekakau Ilir District, which would be sent to Lampung Province.

"Then the team moved to investigate the truth of the information. While on the Pekon Bandar Baru road, the team checked the suspected car and found a brown wooden box containing wild animals," he said.

Then an interrogation was carried out on the driver and passenger related to boxes containing wild animals.

"After in-depth interrogation, it turned out that the owner of the box containing the forest cat was a passenger in the car, knowing this, the team secured the driver, the passenger and evidence were taken to the West Lampung Police for further investigation," he said.

The evidence that was secured was a jungle cat, an Avanza car and a wooden cage.

Now the perpetrator must be held accountable for his actions, as referred to in article 21 paragraph (2) letter a Jo article 40 paragraph (2) of Law no. 05 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems, with a maximum imprisonment of 5 years.