Indonesian Navy Soldiers Failed Lobster Fry Smuggling Rp7.8 Billion

PHOTO ANTARA

CILEGON - The Banten Naval Base (Lanal) thwarted the smuggling of lobster fry worth Rp7.8 billion from the results of the joint operations team.

Banten Naval Base Commander Marine Colonel (ret) Budi Iryanto said his party foiled the smuggling of lobster fry by the Wanara Sakti 21 Task Force and the Joint Task Force at Banten Naval Base Command HQ.

The joint operation was in accordance with the instructions of the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Yudho Margono, delivered by the Commander of the Armed Forces I and continued by Danlantamal III through Banten Naval Base.

The success of catching and rescuing lobster fry is part of the order that Indonesian Navy soldiers must be able to maintain the state's trust with real work that is beneficial to institutions, society, and the nation.

According to him, TNI soldiers can have a responsibility for the marine preservation of the Indonesian archipelago.

So far, he said, Indonesia's marine ecosystems and habitats are under threat of extinction, including the rampant sales of lobsters.

Because of this, the Wanara Sakti 21 Task Force team from Banten Naval Base and the Joint Task Force managed to catch two of the lobster fry smugglers, early Wednesday morning. The two smugglers have the initials Ap and Ps, residents of Ciruas, Serang Regency, Banten.

"We have handed over the two perpetrators to the Dirkrimsus Banten Police for legal processing," he said, as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, June 9.

According to him, the perpetrators were arrested in the area at the ASDP Merak Banten Regular Port Tollgate by finding as many as 14 boxes of styrofoam in a private minibus vehicle.

Of the 14 boxes of styrofoam, there were 13 boxes (78,896 fish) of sand lobster and 1 box (1,075 of them) pearl lobster with a total of 77,971 lobster fry.

It is estimated that the sale of the lobster has caused a total loss to the state of Rp 7.8 billion. The lobster seeds will be smuggled into Vietnam via the island of Sumatra.

The lobster fry smuggling activity is alleged to have violated Law 45 of 2009 concerning amendments to Law No. 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries and Law No. 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation.

Furthermore, he said, the perpetrators and evidence were immediately handed over to the Dirkrimsus Banten Police for further investigation and investigation in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

"We have previously coordinated with the Banten Police and the Cilegon Fish Quarantine," he said.