KKP Failed To Smuggle 6.44 Million BBL Throughout 2024 Worth IDR 849 Billion

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) thwarted 44 cases of smuggling clear lobster seeds (BBL) in 16 locations throughout 2024. The total fuel that could be saved reached 6.44 million or Rp. 849 billion.

"Throughout 2024, we managed to thwart 44 times in 16 locations with the amount of BBL saved by 6.44 million BBL that we released or worth Rp. 849 billion," said KKP Director General of Marine and Fishery Resources Supervision (PSDKP) Pung Nugroho Saksono or Ipunk at a press conference at the KKP office, Friday, December 20.

Ipunk said this supervisory performance was in line with President Prabowo Subianto's directives to tackle the smuggling of Indonesia's natural resources, especially BBL.

"The priority of supervision of BBL smuggling is in line with the policies and directions from President Prabowo to reduce the smuggling of wealth and resources in our country," he said.

The supervision of BBL smuggling is carried out in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies, such as the Navy (AL), Police, Customs and Excise, Bakamla as well as independent operations carried out by the KKP PSDKP.

He added that one of the latest operations carried out was in Lampung. In this case, the KKP succeeded in thwarting the smuggling of illegal BBL which was said to have entered through the "left lane".

"Recently, our independent operation in Lampung yesterday succeeded in uncovering and thwarting the smuggling of BBL in Lampung, which is a player on the left lane. Why do we call this the left lane? Because this right lane is official and pays taxes," he said.

He said that currently the authorities are still hunting for the main perpetrators of the smuggling network, by digging for further information in collaboration with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK).

"Currently, we are still pursuing the main perpetrators, especially those with the brains of the perpetrators. However, we emphasize here that we are working with PPATK. So, from these perpetrators we dug up the names and that's what we conveyed to PPATK," said Ipunk.

In this operation, a fleet of surveillance ships and patrol aircraft were used to eradicate illegal fishing to protect Indonesia's marine resources.