Gakkum Kemenhut Reveals Protection Of Animals In Mimika

Dozens of protected animals that were successfully secured from TSL trading players during the Kememhut Gakkum operation in Mimika Regency, Central Papua, Saturday (15/3/2025) (ANTARA)

The Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Forestry (Gakkum Kemenhut) has uncovered a case of trafficking dozens of protected animals in Mimika Regency, Central Papua after receiving reports from the public.

Head of the Balai Gakkum Forestry for the Maluku Region of Papua, Fredrik E. Tumbel, said that his party together with the Mimika Police on March 15, 2025, managed to secure the perpetrator with the initials ATL with dozens of birds and 1 cuscus who were protected animals in his house.

"Currently we will continue to deepen and develop to uncover the trade network of protected wildlife parts. This is a form of the government's commitment to protecting Indonesia's biological natural resources, especially Plants and Wildlife (TSL) which is protected from various threats and crimes," explained Fredrik, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, March 21.

He said that the perpetrators of ATL as the owner of the protected animal had been named a suspect and were still being investigated further by the Balai Gakkum Forestry for the Maluku Region of Papua.

The evidence was also successfully secured in the form of 10 Kakatua Koki (Cacatua Galerita), 4 Maluku Kakatua (Cacatua moluccensis), 2 Kakatua Raja (Probosciger aterrimus), 49 Black Head Kasturi (Lorius lory), 2 Perkici Pelangi (Trichoglossus hadeatodus), 4 Nuri Aru (Chalcopipsitta scintillata), 2 Nuri Bayan (Eclectus roratus) and 1 Kuskus (Phalangeridae) all alive.

All of these animals are now being secured by the Balai Gakkum Kehutanan at the Mimika Regional Section II Office of the Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center in Mimika.

The chronology of the arrest of the perpetrator began with the operation of the distribution of wild plants and animals held by the SPORC Brigade of the Kangaroo Region III Jayapura Balai Gakkum Kehutanan Maluku and Papua together with the Mimika Police to follow up on public reports related to the trade in protected animals in Mimika Regency.

Based on the results of the examination, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights investigators suspect that ATL has been hunting, arresting, injuring, killing, storing, possessing, maintaining, transporting, and/or trading protected animals alive with Article 40A paragraph (1) letter d jo, Article 21 paragraph (2) letter a of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 32 of 2024 is threatened with a maximum imprisonment of 15 years.

"Given the importance of protected animal functions for the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems as well as conservation areas, strict action against perpetrators of this protected TSL crime must be taken. Perpetrators must be punished severely, so that there is a deterrent effect and examples for other perpetrators," said Fredrik E. Tumbel.