4 Perpetrators Of Sale And Purchase Of Protected Animals Arrested In Banjarmasin, 28 Cucak Ijo Birds Arrested

The Banjarmasin Police Sat Polairud and the South Kalimantan BKSDA provided information regarding the arrest of the perpetrators of buying and selling protected animals in Banjarmasin City, South Kalimantan, Monday (29/4/2024). (ANTARA/HO-Polresta Banjarmasin)

The Banjarmasin Police Unit (Polairud) arrested four perpetrators of buying and selling 28 protected species of Cucak Ijo birds as evidence of confiscation.

Head of Polairud Polresta Banjarmasin AKP Dading Kalbu Adie said the four perpetrators arrested were AW (29) a resident of Banjarmasin City, SM (43) a resident of Banjar Regency, AK (23) and BY (39) a resident of Kapuas, Central Kalimantan (Central Kalimantan).

"The perpetrator AK is a supplier of birds," said Dading in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Monday, April 29, as reported by Antara.

In chronological terms, the arrests began on Saturday, April 27, officers received information from one of the social media suspected of buying and selling protected animals in the Rawasari Coastal area, Teluk Dalam Village, Central Banjarmasin, Banjarmasin City.

"Officers immediately carried out an investigation by posing as buyers and pretending to buy birds from perpetrators of AW and asking about the price of these protected animals," he said.

At the time of the transaction, he said, officers immediately arrested AW and his colleague BY at the location and confiscated 18 pieces of evidence.

After that, the officers developed an investigation based on information from the two arrested perpetrators. The results of the investigation revealed that there would be 8 bird shipments imported from Banjarbaru City, it didn't take long for the team to arrest SM perpetrators and confiscate evidence.

Dading said that his party was trying to develop another investigation to find out the supplier of protected animals. Until finally obtained information that the supplier with the initials AK was in Kapuas, Central Kalimantan.

Based on the results of the investigation, he said, officers coordinated with the Kapuas Strait Sector Police, until finally the perpetrator was arrested in Kapuas, Central Kalimantan, the next day, on Sunday, April 28.

Dading revealed that 2 of the AK perpetrators were confiscated which were ready to be sold to buyers. As a result of the investigation, suppliers sell these protected animals outside the area.

"The perpetrators sell these protected animals at prices ranging from Rp. 200 thousand to Rp. 500 thousand," he said.

The Banjarmasin Police Satpolairud also revealed the fact that suppliers make transactions through social media by using fake accounts so that they are not easily suspected by officers.

For their actions, the perpetrators were charged with Article 40 paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 21 paragraph 2 letter B of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Ecosystems with a penalty of five years in prison and a fine of Rp. 100 million.

Head of the Forestry Police of the South Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Yudono Susilo said the confiscated animals were one of the protected animals based on the provisions of the Regulation of the Minister of Environment and Forestry (Permen LHK) Number 106 of 2018 concerning the Second Amendment to the Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation Number 20 concerning Protected Types of Plants and Animals.

"Later on, all confiscated evidence will be released into the wild," said Yudono.