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Tiger-skin trader nabbed in Lampung
The Lampung Police have announced their arrest of tiger-skin trader, identified as Eka Widya Sari
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he Lampung Police have announced their arrest of tiger-skin trader, identified as Eka Widya Sari. Eka, who told the police that she had obtained the skin via Facebook, was arrested while waiting for a buyer in a restaurant in Bandar Lampung.
'We also confiscated the 26.5 by 30 centimeter piece of tiger skin, which she had purchased for Rp 4 million via Facebook and was attempting to resell it for Rp 4.5 million,' Lampung Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Sulistyaningsih said Thursday.
During preliminary questioning, Eka claimed she was just an ordinary housewife. But she said the police suspected she was part of a larger illegal animal-skin trading syndicate.
The head of Lampung's Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Subakir, said according to recent intelligence, the price of tiger skins had risen recently due to increasing overseas demand on the black market.
'Most of the illegal transactions are conducted on Java Island,' Subakir said.
He added that whoever was implicated in protected animal-trading activities faced up to five years in prison and a Rp 100 million fine.
Dwi Nugroho of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said much of the tiger-skin trading took place in Sumatra, adding that most of the skins were sent to buyers in European countries and Singapore.(dic)(++++)
