Riau Conservation Agency Names Two Suspects For Smuggling Of Pangloins

id riau conservation, agency names, two suspects, for smuggling, of pangloins

Riau Conservation Agency Names Two Suspects For Smuggling Of Pangloins

Pekanbaru (Antarariau.com) - The Riau Nature Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) has named two suspects for attempting to smuggle 102 pangolins into Malaysia.

"The two were named as suspects. We are still investigating the case," a legal officer of the Riau BBKSDA Eduwar Hutapea stated here, Friday.

The two suspects, identified by their initial A aged 25 and B aged 22, were arrested by the Indonesian Navy's Western Fleet Quick response in Dumai on Tuesday.

The suspects, all residents of Selatbaru Village of Bengkalis, were arrested at Bengkalis Straits when they were attempting to smuggle the pangolins into Malaysia aboard a traditional boat.

The Navy has also seized the pangolins and handed them over to the conservation agency for further investigation.

The BBKSDA, on Wednesday, released 97 pangolins into the Rimbang Baling wildlife conservation area, while five others died.

Hutapea said, the two suspects claimed they were ordered by someone to smuggle the pangolins and were paid Rp800 thousand for their work.

"We are still probing information from them," he said.

The suspects will face a maximum jail term of five years and will have to pay a fine of Rp100 million under Law No. 5 of 1990 on conservation of natural resources and their ecosystem.

Pangolins are identified as protected species under Government Regulation No. 7 of 1999.

Earlier in October, the Dumai customs office had seized 100 pangolins and handed them over to the Riau BBKSDA, but they failed to arrest the suspect.

"During the past two years, it was the fourth arrest for attempting to smuggle pangolins. We are investigating the possibility that they might belong to the same syndicate," Hutapea remarked.