171 Thousand Lobster Seeds Secured At Soetta Airport, Police Name 7 Suspects

Evidence of smuggling clear lobster seeds (BBL) was confiscated by the Soetta Airport Police (Ist)

JAKARTA The City Police (Polresta) of Soekarno-Hatta Airport (Soetta), Polda Metro Jaya, managed to uncover a large number of lobster clear seed smuggling (BBL) cases that will be sent abroad via the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Cargo Terminal, Tangerang, Banten. A total of seven people have been named as suspects in this case.

Soetta Airport Police Chief Kombes Pol Ronald Sipayung said that the disclosure of this case began with reports from the public who suspected suspicious activities in the form of sending suspicious suitcases through the cargo terminal. After a search and inspection was carried out, officers found three of the four suitcases containing a total of 171,880 BBLs.

"The seven people we have named as suspects have the initials RK, AH, JS, DS, RS, WW, and AN. Two of them are Avsec (Aviation Security) officers who work in cargo at Soetta Airport, with the initials RK and JS, who play a role in passing the suitcase containing lobster seeds from the security check process," Ronald said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, June 12.

From the results of the investigation, the police found that this network consisted of perpetrators with different roles, ranging from collectors of BBL in the West Java region, packaging and suppliers of suitcases, to couriers in charge of bringing goods to the airport area. Avsec officers received a reward of between Rp. 1 million and Rp. 4 million for each suitcase collie that was successfully removed from supervision.

"This shipment was originally addressed to Singapore as a transit point, before being sent back to the final destination country, namely Vietnam," said Ronald.

He added that the modus operandi of smuggling BBL by air continues to develop, including utilizing networks within the airport. This is a serious concern for the police and related authorities considering the potential for large state losses and ecological impact on the sustainability of the Indonesian marine ecosystem.

Police are also still hunting for five other suspects who are now on the wanted list (DPO). The investigation will continue to reveal the entire network and parties involved in this smuggling.

For the legal process, the suspects were charged with Article 29 in conjunction with Article 26 paragraph (1) of Law no. 6 of 2023 concerning Stipulation of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law no. 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation, Article 88 of Law no. 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries, and Article 87 in conjunction with Article 34 of Law no. 21 of 2019 concerning Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine, as well as Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code, with a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison and a fine of up to IDR 1.5 billion.

Meanwhile, 171,880 BBLs that have been successfully secured have been released back into their habitat in the Serang coastal area, Banten. The release was carried out with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) through the Jakarta I Fish Quarantine and Quality Control Center (BKIPM), to prevent death and preserve lobster species in nature.

Kombes Pol Ronald Sipayung appealed to the public not to be involved in illegal activities that damage marine ecosystems and harm the state, including the smuggling of lobster seeds. He also asked the public to be more proactive in reporting suspicious activities related to trade or illegal shipments of natural resources.

"We invite the public to preserve Indonesia's marine resources. Don't be tempted by temporary profits. The smuggling of BBL is not only a crime, but also threatens the balance of the ecosystem and the sustainability of local fishermen in the future," said Ronald.

The police and related agencies are committed to increasing supervision and law enforcement against all forms of biological smuggling. Education and supervision in coastal areas and airports will continue to be strengthened so that similar cases do not happen again.