North Sumatra Police Seize 987 Kilograms Of Pangolin Scales

Some evidence of pangolin scales from Tanjungbalai. (ANTARA/HO-North Sumatra Police Public Relations Division)

The Sub-Directorate IV Team for Certain Crimes of the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the North Sumatra Regional Police (Polda) confiscated 987.22 kilograms of pangolin scales.

"The evidence confiscated was 18 sacks containing pangolin scales weighing 987.22 kilograms from Tanjungbalai City," said Head of Public Relations of the North Sumatra Police, Kombes Hadi Wahyudi in Medan, as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 8.

The confiscation of this evidence began with public reports of the sale and purchase of protected animals, namely pangolin scales in Tanjugbalai City, North Sumatra.

After receiving the report, personnel led by the Head of Sub-Directorate IV of the Tipidter Dit Reskrimsus of the North Sumatra Police, Kompol Fathir Mustafa, conducted an investigation at the location.

The officers then arrested the suspect AH alias DD as a seller and the buyer with the initials R alias AN along with evidence on Sunday (8/8).

"AH admits to getting pangolin scales by setting traps in the forest, then skinning them and taking the pangolin scales collected," he said.

Furthermore, AH kept pangolin scales in a house located on Jalan Cermai, Pasar, Tanjungbalai before being sold.

"The perpetrator's mode of selling the protected animals is through social media," said Hadi.

For the actions of the perpetrators, Article 40 of Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning the conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems, with a maximum imprisonment of five years.