Tricked Officers Using Smuggling Wood Raid 29 Green Turtles, 3 Residents In Bali Arrested

PHOTO: Public Relations Of Jembrana Bali Police

Jembrana Police, Bali, arrested three perpetrators of smuggling green turtles or chelonia mydas.

The three perpetrators with the initials SD (55), AU (32), and ML (35) are residents of Tuwed Village, Melaya District, Jembrana Regency.

Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya said the results of the investigation revealed that the turtles were smuggled by elementary school players to be sent to the Kedonganan area, in Kuta District, Badung Regency, Bali.

"The modus operandi is that the perpetrator tricked the officers by closing 29 turtles which were transported by tarpaulin and piled up again with plastic sacks containing wood powder," said Inspector General Daniel, Thursday, January 16.

Meanwhile, the AU and ML perpetrators were arrested on Sunday (12/1) at around 00.30 WITA.

The smuggling of protected animals was discovered by police officers and thwarted. The police secured a pickup with the number plate DK 8266 WG which was used to transport 29 turtles.

The car was intercepted while on the way from Jembrana towards Denpasar City. At that time the police secured AU and ML, as well as 29 pieces of evidence in the pickup.

"The AU suspect served as the driver who delivered the turtle, and the ML suspect as the assistant who accompanied the AU," he added.

Meanwhile, elementary school players play a role in finding turtles by ordering through a fisherman from the Muncar area, in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java.

A total of 29 green turtles obtained were sent to Jembrana from Banyuwangi, by boat at Pebuah Beach in Negara District, Jembrana Regency.

In addition, from the results of the examination, the suspect SD received an order for turtle species from a man known as Pak Botak or a nickname from Kedonganan, Kuta.

Furthermore, dozens of turtles were transported by pickup.

From the development of the investigation, the elementary school perpetrator was finally arrested at his home in Tuwed Village, Jembrana.

"The three perpetrators in the case have been named as suspects and are currently being held at the Jembrana Police Headquarters Detention Center," he said.

The three perpetrators were charged with Article 21 paragraph (2) letter A in conjunction with Article 40 A paragraph (1) letter D of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 32 of 2024 concerning Amendments to Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems in conjunction with Article 55 of the Criminal Code

Previously, as many as 19 green turtles or chelonia mydas that were secured from smuggling cases were released at Pericak Village Beach, Jembrana District, Jembrana Regency, Bali on Sunday (12/1).

The turtles are part of a total of 29 that were successfully secured by the Jembrana Police, Bali, in an attempt to smuggle which was thwarted on Sunday (12/1) in the early hours of the morning.