Receiving A Wage Of IDR 2.7 Million, Couriers About To Smuggle 29 Birds Protected To Malaysia Arrested In Riau Islands

Illustration of the king's cockatoo or probosciger aterrimus is a protected animal. (ANTARA-Rony M)

KEPRI - Bintan Police in the Riau Islands (Kepri) thwarted the smuggling of dozens of protected birds into neighboring Malaysia.

"Yes, that's right, the joint personnel of the Bintan Police Satreskrim and the North Bintan Police have thwarted the smuggling of protected animals," said Head of the Public Relations Section (Kasi) of the Bintan Police, Iptu

Alson explained that the disclosure of the protected animal smuggling case was based on information from the public to the police. Furthermore, the police conducted an investigation and finally found dozens of birds at the location of the house of a man with the initials R (41), precisely in Sri Kuala Lobam District, Bintan Regency, Wednesday, August 21.

From that location, officers found as many as five cages or cages containing 29 birds, consisting of 9 Nuri Bayan birds, 4 Nuri Raja Papua species, 13 types of Jambul Kuning Old Brother, 1 Maluku Old Brother, and 2 types of Cendrawasih Kecil.

Officers also secured R, who is a resident of Seri Kuala Lobam District, who works as a fisherman every day.

"Evidence of birds and men R was immediately taken to the Bintan Police Station for examination," said Alson.

Alson said that from the results of the examination, R admitted that he only received orders from a resident who lived in Malaysia to send the birds to neighboring countries.

Initially, the Malaysian, whose identity had not been identified, contacted R by telephone, then asked him to accommodate, as well as send a handover bird to be delivered by another person whose identity was also not yet known to R's residence.

Furthermore, R agreed to the Malaysian request because he was promised a wage of Rp. 2.7 million.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, August 21, someone delivered the bird to R to be sent to Malaysia by sea at night. The plan is that the bird handover transaction between R and Malaysians will be carried out in the middle of the sea.

"So, the bird will be picked up directly by Malaysians concerned," said Alson.

Alson added that Malaysians who asked the suspect to deliver the bird were still being chased by the Bintan Police, as were the people who delivered the bird to R's house.

"Currently, the bird has been entrusted to the Batam Natural Resources Conservation Office (KSDA), with a total selling value of around Rp. 500 million," said Alson.

As for R's status, he has been named a suspect and an intensive investigation is still being carried out by the Bintan Police Satreskrim.

R's actions are threatened with violating Article 40A paragraph (1) letter d in conjunction with Article 21 paragraph (2) letter a of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 32 of 2024 concerning amendments to Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems with a minimum imprisonment of three years and a maximum of 15 years.