Smuggling 9,423 Lobster Seeds From Lombok And Sumbawa, Police Arrest Couriers Chasing Suppliers

The police released lobster seeds in a smuggling case on the coast of Senggigi Beach, West Lombok, Thursday (20/6/2024). (ANTARA)

The Directorate of Water and Air Police (Ditpolairud) of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Police is handling a case of smuggling thousands of lobster seeds by arresting a suspected courier with the initials DR.

Head of Sub-Directorate of Police for Law Enforcement of the NTB Regional Police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Police Muh. Anton Bhayangkara Gaisar said that his party had named DR as a suspect based on the results of the case title at the investigation stage.

"So, we have detained DR as a follow-up to the determination of the suspect," said Anton in Mataram, NTB, Friday, June 21, as reported by Antara.

In the handling process, Ditpolairud is still continuing to develop to explore the role of others related to DR sources getting lobster seeds.

"For the role of others, we are exploring by tracing the origin of the goods. It is suspected that these seeds are not only from the Lombok area, there are also from Sumbawa," he said.

Suspect DR is a resident of West Sakra, East Lombok Regency, who works as a fisherman. DR was arrested by the police on Wednesday, June 19 night while driving across the southern ring route of Lombok Island.

From DR's arrest, the police found dozens of plastic bags containing lobster seeds in cardboard with a total of 9,423 types of pearls and sand.

During the examination process, investigators received information from DR that the thousands of lobster seeds were about to be sent to an orderer on the island of Java.

Regarding the existence of lobster seeds which are evidence, Anton ensured that his party together with the Quarantine Center had released them on the coast of Senggigi Beach, West Lombok Regency, on Thursday, June 20.

As a suspect, DR is suspected of violating Article 92 in conjunction with Article 26 paragraph (1) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries as amended to Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning Stipulation of Government Regulations in Lieu of Law Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation into Law and/or Article 88 letter a in conjunction with Article 35 paragraph (1) letter a of Law Number 21 of 2019 concerning Animal Quarantine, Fish and Plants and/or Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code.