Passengers Of The Green Cucak Bird Smuggling Plane To The Cabinet, The Flight Attendant Was Caught Because Of The Chirping Sound

ILLUSTRATION/ANTARA PHOTO/Dik Suhartono/hp

YOGYAKARTA - The Center for Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine in the Special Region of Yogyakarta thwarted an attempt to smuggle protected animals in the form of two green cucak birds (Chloropsis sonnerati) by airplane passengers from Balikpapan to Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) Airport.

Head of the Law Enforcement Working Team of the Yogyakarta Quarantine Center Karman said the two protected animals had now been handed over to the Yogyakarta Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA).

"The first to find (protected animals) was a flight attendant because they saw something odd, so the passenger was asked, it turned out that (carried) a bird," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, August 14.

Karman explained that the case of smuggling green cucak birds was known in the cabin of the Pelita Air plane on a flight from Balikpapan, East Kalimantan to Yogyakarta in July 2024.

A passenger in the aircraft cabin carried two protected birds by putting them in a plastic bottle used for mineral water.

The bottle containing the bird was stored in a tassel bag with the lid open, while the bottom of the bottle was cut and stocked with socks.

A flight attendant who was suspicious of his movements and heard the sound of a green cucak tweet in the aircraft cabin then approached and questioned the passenger.

After being found to be carrying birds, flight attendants then reported to the co-pilot of Pelita Air.

"Co-pilot then reported to the 'ground handling' officer and when he arrived below he was immediately secured," he said.

Yogyakarta Quarantine Center officers then secured and checked the health condition of the birds carried without the documents.

After being declared negative for bird flu or Avian Influenza (AI) then handed over to the Yogyakarta BKSDA.

"Initial indications are for private (collection), not traded," said Karman.

Head of the Conservation Section Region 1 BKSDA Yogakarta Dian Banjar Agung said the green cucak bird is 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.

Because he was still young, said Banjar, for the time being the animal was entrusted to Gembira Loka Zoo as one of the conservation institutions in Yogyakarta.

"The bird comes from Kalimantan so it cannot be released into Java. It must be sent back to Kalimantan," he said.