PALEMBANG - Polrestabes Palembang, South Sumatra (Sumsel) arrested two suspects for smuggling lobster seeds worth Rp 15.3 billion. The two suspects are Ferdi (26) and Fajar alias Dani (32).
The Head of PolrestabesP alembang Kombes Irvan Prawira Satyaputra said the two perpetrators were arrested by the special criminal unit of the Palembang Police on Jalan Palameswara, Ilir Barat 1 District, Palembang, last Wednesday, October 20.
Both of them are freelance smugglers whose job is to deliver lobster seeds from Ogan Ilir Regency to Lubuk Linggau City.
"While they will take them to Lubuk Linggau City, we are still investigating whether this is true because we suspect that Lubuk Linggau is not the actual destination," he said, quoted by Antara, Friday, October 22.
Together with the suspect, the officers confiscated one unit of a black Innova minibus, secured 876 thousand sand lobster seeds and 11 thousand pearl lobsters.
"The lobster was packed in 26 plastic bags stored in a box found in the Innova car driven by the suspect," he said.
However, according to him, the suspect had evaded by confessing to the officers that they did not know that the contents of the box were lobster seeds but clothes.
The suspect received a salary of Rp. 2 million for the delivery. Where they have received Rp1 million as a down payment first, then Rp1 million get when the goods arrive at their destination.
Referring to the regulation of the Minister of Forestry Regulation No. 17 of 2021 article 7, regarding the regulation of captive breeding, the release of BBL must be above 8 cm or weighing above 200 grams. The owner of the lobster seeds violated Law (UU) Number 45 of 2009 as amended by Law Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries Article 92 Jo Article 26 paragraph (1) with a maximum penalty of 8 years and a maximum fine of Rp 1.5 billion.
Syahdan, this case of lobster seed smuggling is the third case revealed by the Palembang Police in the last two months with a total loss of Rp. 38 billion from the number of lobster seeds which reached hundreds of thousands.
Head of Data and Information Supervision of the Fish Quarantine Agency for Quality Control and Safety of Fishery Products Palembang, Erik Ariyanto, said that all the lobster seeds were returned to their natural habitat as in previous cases because these lobster seeds were prone to death.
"We will immediately return them to their habitat," he said.
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