Banyuasin Police Fails To Export Illegal Lobster Seeds, 6 People Become Suspects

The Banyuasin Resort Police, South Sumatra, named six residents of Banten Province as suspects in the alleged export of illegal lobster seeds that crossed the district's marine waters.

Head of the Banyuasin Resort Criminal Investigation Unit, Adjunct Commissioner of Police Hary Dinar, when confirmed in Banyuasin, Sunday, said that the determination of the suspect status was carried out by investigators based on the adequacy of evidence reinforced by witness testimony and experts at the time.

The six suspects each had the initials BI (34), IS (26), Y (44), AZ (36), MH (37), and RP (32), all of whom were residents of Lebak and Serang Regencies, Banten Province.

"They were caught trying to send or export lobster seeds using a car passing through Tanjung Lago Village, Banyuasin, not far from the port of the Tanjung Api-Api ship," said Hary Dinar, Antara, Sunday, June 11.

From the hands of the suspects, the police received as many as 191,850 lobster seeds of 180 thousand pearl lobsters and 11,850 sand lobsters.

The evidence of the lobster was carried by the suspect by packing plastic bags and stored in 43 boxes of Styreofoam, then transported in three minibuses.

"To trick the officers, they used fake car number plates (each with police number BG-1323-ZU, BG-1653-IH and BG-1272-ZI) and the inside of the car on the system in such a way. However, thanks to cross-sectoral cooperation (the criminal investigation unit and port officers) this illegal action was thwarted," he said.

In this case, police investigators also involved officers from the South Sumatra Province Fish Quarantine Center to ensure that the animals carried by the perpetrators were protected lobster species.

"From a series of joint investigations that took place for several days, it also ensured that the perpetrators did not have a SIUP (Trading Business Permit Letter) or exports of the two types of lobster seeds," he said.

For this action, the six suspects were charged with violating Article 92 in conjunction with Article 26 paragraph (1) or Article 88 in conjunction with Article 16 paragraph (1) of Law (UU) Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries, with the threat of imprisonment for six years and a fine of IDR 1.5 billion.

Meanwhile, the thousands of lobster seeds on Sunday morning have been released back by Quarantine Center officers in Teluk Lampung Waters, Teluk Betung Barat District, Lampung Province.

"Furthermore, instructions from our leadership will continue to be investigated where and where the delivery will go," he added.