Today
Jakarta
- 26 °C
Other Publications
Police, BKSDA foil endangered shell smuggling attempt
Andra Wisnu , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Thu, 09/25/2008 9:52 AM | Bali
A SHELLFISH END: An official checks confiscated shells of endangered marine mollusks at the Bali Center for Natural Resource Conservation (BKSDA) office in Denpasar on Wednesday. (JP/Andra Wisnu)
Ngurah Rai International Airport police and the Center for Natural Resource Conservation (BKSDA) foiled an attempt to smuggle hundreds of marine shells from Bali to Noumea in New Caledonia, in the South Pacific ocean, Wednesday.
The police found the endangered shells, Chambered Nautiluses (Nautilus pompilius) and Triton’s Trumpets (Charonia tritonis), packed inside 15 large boxes and wrapped inside bed covers and Balinese cloths.
Officials uncovered the plot at around 10 a.m. Tuesday morning after airport customs officers X-rayed the plastic wrapped cardboard boxes, which were registered in the name of the Balinese shipping company Pacific Express, suspecting that the cargo contained wildlife.
Police further suspected foul play after finding out that the shippers did not attach the required official documents for transporting wild flora and fauna to overseas destinations.
The boxes have been confiscated and are currently being inspected at BKSDA. According to the latest tally, at least 213 Chambered Nautiluses and 16 Triton’s Trumpets were about to be smuggled, along with hundreds of other marine shells to Noumea.
“And this may only be a trial attempt. If this one had got through, there’s no telling how many more of these shells would have been smuggled out,” Bali BKSDA chief Istanto Dwi Martoyo said during the scrutiny process at the BKSDA office in Denpasar, Wednesday.
He said officials plan to question the cargo company in charge of the shipping, Pacific Express, to uncover who was behind the smuggling attempt, or charge them under the smuggling laws if they refuse to cooperate.
“We have not been able to identify the perpetrators because the company is either deliberately covering their eyes or they are simply covering their mouth,” said Isnu Wistoyo, head of forestry police of Ngurah Rai International Airport.
“Either way, we will continue to press this matter,” he said.In response, Oka Aryasa, a spokesman for Pacific Express, said company policy lays down that employees should not examine contents if the customer has already wrapped the boxes.
“And we have available a written statement from us and the customer to show that the customer had wrapped the boxes by themselves or through a different wrapping service company,” he said in a telephone interview.
Since February this year, there have been two foiled attempts at smuggling marine shells through Ngurah Rai International Airport, Isnu said.
However, he added, the airport forestry police continue to uncover attempts by locals and non-locals in the vicinity of the airport selling these endangered marine shells, prized for their elaborate patterns and complex shapes.
“We usually just reprimand first offenders, but we immediately arrest those who have been repeatedly caught trying to sell them,” he said.
Both Triton’s Trumpet and The Chambered Nautilus are endangered species protected under Indonesian conservation laws. The Chambered Nautilus are especially prized for being “living fossils,” whose existence has been tracked back as early as 500 million years ago.
The shells’ destination was the city of Noumea in the South Pacific island of New Caledonia, a semi-autonomous associated territory of France, reportedly a stop-over destination for smugglers who often forwarded these shells to be sold in Europe.
In Indonesia, the shells of unprotected marine species may sell for between Rp 50,000 (US$5.4) to Rp 100,000, while the rare ones may sell for up to Rp 500,000.
