The Case Of Protected Animal Trade Enters The Green Table, Held By The Ambon District Court To Snare Ship Crew Members

The defendant is suspected of being a criminal act of smuggling and selling protected wildlife on behalf of Eman while listening to the reading of the prosecutor's indictment during a trial at the Ambon District Court, Monday (9/9/2024).(ANTARA/daniel)

AMBON - The case of alleged smuggling and trafficking of nine protected animals with the defendant Yogyakarta (ABK) MT. Matindo named Eman was held at the Ambon District Court (PN).

In the trial agenda of this indictment, Maluku Prosecutor's Office Siti Ramelan said the defendant was arrested by the Maluku Police Ditreskrimsus along with evidence of 9 wildlife on June 22, 2024. The arrests were made at the Speedboat Wayame Port, Teluk Ambon District.

"Initially, members of the Maluku Police Ditreskrimsus found an account on social media that was offering protected birds from Papua," said the Public Prosecutor at the Ambon District Court, Monday, September 9, which was confiscated by Antara.

Then members of the Ditkrimsus disguised themselves as potential buyers and then contacted the defendant to make an offer.

At that time MT. Matindo was docked at Pertamina Wayame Port in Ambon so that the defendant was willing to hold a meeting with potential buyers at Speedboat Wayame Port while carrying the evidence he wanted to buy.

The police then detained the defendant along with nine protected wildlife including two Papuan black-headed parrots (Lorius lory), one yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea occidentalis), two parrots (Eclectus roratus) and four Papuan black parrots (Chalcopipsitta atra).

"For this act, the defendant was charged with violating Article 21 paragraph (2) letter a in conjunction with Article 40 paragraph (2) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems," said the Public Prosecutor.

It is hoped that the prosecutor's indictment, both the defendant and his legal adviser, will not object so that the panel of judges postpones the trial for a week with the agenda of examining witnesses.