Riau Police Arrest Sunda Pangolin Smuggler

Pekanbaru, Riau, April 12 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian police in Riau Province have arrested a suspected smuggler of Sunda Pangolin (Manis javanica), a protected animal species, on Sunday, a police officer said here Monday. Rudi Sastra, 29, was caught following the arrest of another suspect, Tengku Rudianto, in a sweeping operation at Arifin Achmad street here last Friday, Adjunct Commissioner Jhon Wesly, said. The police investigators still probed into this alleged smuggling case, he said. Meanwhile, the suspect denied the police allegation that he was the pangolin smuggler. Instead, he insisted that he was just a hunter of the animals in Tapung area, Kampar regency, to be sold to Rudianto. He said he had just worked for Rudianto for two months, and received Rp100,000 from selling the captured scaly anteaters. "For every kilogram of the captured pangolin, I am paid Rp20,000. I have never known that the animal is protected until the police arrest me," he said. Adjunct Commissioner Jhon Wesly said the police still chased Syafii, suspected owner of 30 scaly anteaters that would likely be smuggled to Singapore.