'Arrested Today, 2 Months Of Violating Again,' Barantin Is Furious, Wants Criminally Sanctioned Quarantine Violators

Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) Sahat Manaor Panggebean after opening technical guidance related to law enforcement around quarantine in Jakarta, Tuesday (7/10/2025). ANTARA/Mario Sofia Nasution.

JAKARTA - Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) Sahat Manaor Panggebean emphasized that violators of quarantine rules must be subject to criminal sanctions in order to have a deterrent effect and not to repeat similar violations in the future.

"So far, we have only rejected and destroyed plants or animals, but have not taken action against the perpetrators," said Sahat in Jakarta, Antara, Tuesday, October 7.

He assessed that the weakness of law enforcement caused quarantine violations to continue to repeat itself.

"Arrested today, two or three months later they did it again," he said.

Sahat explained that the legal basis for criminal prosecution has been regulated in Law Number 21 of 2019 concerning Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine. However, the implementation is still minimal less than 10 percent of the total violations found.

Therefore, he urged that legal action against quarantine violators be strengthened and carried out more consistently. Although the number of Civil Servant Investigators (PPNS) in Barantin is not much, he ensures that coordination with the police can cover the shortage.

"Let's protect Indonesia from pests and disease of animals, plants, and fish brought from abroad, because it can damage our economy, food security, farmers, and fishermen," said Sahat.

Barantin Electronic System for Transaction and Utility Service Technology (BEST TRUST) data as of August 2025 shows that Barantin has handled more than 3,700 cases of quarantine violations. Of that number, 1,449 cases were detention, 1,588 rejections, and 691 culling.

To strengthen supervision and law enforcement, Barantin has formed an Ad Hoc Law Enforcement Task Force and collaborated with the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the Strategic Intelligence Agency (Bais).

Selain langkah hukum, Barantin juga terus memberikan edukasi kepada pelaku usaha agar mematuhi ketentuan impor hewan, tumbuhan, dan ikan sesuai dengan regulasi yang berlaku. “Edukasi ini bertujuan mencegah pelanggaran karantina dan mencegah masuknya hama penyakit ke Indonesia,” pungkas Sahat.

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In addition to legal steps, Barantin also continues to provide education to business actors in order to comply with the provisions for importing animals, plants, and fish in accordance with applicable regulations. "This education aims to prevent quarantine violations and prevent the entry of disease pests into Indonesia," concluded Sahat.