Bring 180 Protected Birds From Papua, US Private Pilot Becomes Suspect

Protected bird evidence / Public Relations of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry

JAKARTA - Investigators from the Law Enforcement Center (Gakkum) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) for the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara regions have named AS (50), the pilot of a private airline in Indonesia, as a suspect.

The US was named a suspect for transporting 180 protected birds without permission from Papua to Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Jakarta, Thursday, May 7. This protected animal smuggling case is suspected to be related to the inter-island animal trade network.

Based on the information, the disclosure of the case began with officials from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry's Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) in Jakarta who received a report from the Military Police Unit (POM) of Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base regarding the shipment of hundreds of birds from Sentani Papua to Jakarta via Halim Perdanakusuma Airport. The KSDA Hall then reported the incident to the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Region Gakkum Hall, KLHK.

Currently, 180 protected birds evidence has been handed over and secured at the Tegal Alur Animal Rescue Center. The types and numbers of protected birds include: 6 king parrots, 5 kabare cockatoos, 1 chef's cockatoo, 44 orange-beak lorries, 10 cockatoos, 8 brown cockatoos, 16 large yellow birds of paradise, 2 dead birds of paradise, and 88 Black-head Kasturi. This animal is a protected animal.

Director-General of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Rasio Ridho Sani, said that the crime of illegal trade and hunting of protected wildlife is still a threat to Indonesia's biological wealth, especially Indonesia's exotic animals. The modus operandi of crime continues to evolve, including using airplanes and online commerce. This crime was organized because it involved many parties.

Rasio Sani explained that taking action against plant and animal crimes is a priority for the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. "In recent years, we have carried out 369 operations and have submitted 311 cases to the prosecutor's office for trial (P21), hundreds of thousands of wild animals have been secured. Crimes like this are very detrimental to the country and disrupt the balance of our ecosystem. For that we hope that the perpetrators of crimes against plants and animals like this should be punished as severely as possible so that there is a deterrent effect", said Rasio Sani in an official statement, Friday, May 7.

Meanwhile, the Head of Gakkum Hall of Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Regions, Muhammad Nur, said that KLHK investigators are currently investigating the involvement of other perpetrators related to smuggling with Trigana Air.

"Apart from the US, we believe there are other actors involved. In this case, there are allegations of involvement of some TNI personnel. The process of law enforcement against TNI personnel is carried out by Air Force Military Police and Army Military Police", added Muhammad Nur.

The perpetrators are suspected of violating Article 40 Jo. Article 21 Paragraph 2 Letter a Law No. 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Living Natural Resources and their Ecosystems, with a maximum imprisonment of 5 years and a maximum fine of IDR 100 million.