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View all search resultsForestry ministry arrests suspected pangolin trafficker linked to international network
Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammals in the world, driven by high demand for their scales and claws in traditional medicine.
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This file photo taken on July 22, 2019 shows a Formosan pangolin at the Taipei Zoo. (AFP/Sam Yeh)
T
he Forestry Ministry has arrested a suspected member of an international pangolin trafficking network following an investigation into two major trafficking cases in recent months.
The suspect, identified only as EO, was arrested by ministry officials in Semarang, Central Java, and has been handed over to the Central Java Prosecutor’s Office for prosecution.
Aswin Bangun, head of the ministry’s Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara forestry enforcement agency, said EO was arrested as part of an investigation into two major pangolin trafficking cases uncovered by the ministry in recent months.
“The investigation led our officers to a local trafficking network in Semarang. At the time of his arrest, EO was found in possession of three live pangolins and 20 kilograms of pangolin scales,” he said in a recent statement.
EO has been charged under Article 40 of the Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation Law, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of Rp 5 billion (US$276,687).
In February, customs officials at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 3 tonnes of pangolin scales to Cambodia. The shipment was estimated to be worth around Rp183 billion. Environmental groups estimate that between 15,000 and 24,000 pangolins were killed to obtain this quantity of scales.
In April, the Indonesian Navy foiled an attempt to smuggle 796.34 kg of pangolin scales, valued at more than Rp 46.8 billion, after intercepting a Vietnamese-flagged vessel in the waters off Merak port in Banten.
Several individuals have since been named suspects in the case, including a Vietnamese national.
Read also: Medan court sends man selling 13 kg of pangolin scales to jail
Forestry Law Enforcement Director General Dwi Januanto Nugroho has pledged to continue the investigation into both cases.
“The Forestry Ministry continues to pursue every case to uncover links among those involved, the movement of illegal goods, trafficking routes and the individuals who control and profit from the illegal trade. Law enforcement efforts are not limited to stopping individual shipments; they are aimed at dismantling the networks that exploit Indonesia’s biodiversity and turn it into commodities for the international black market,” Dwi said.
Meanwhile, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the illegal trade in pangolins constituted a serious crime against Indonesia’s biodiversity, which required a coordinated international response.
“As trafficking networks operate across borders, the Forestry Ministry will continue to strengthen coordination with the National Police, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Interpol and authorities in other countries to trace those responsible for the crime. No perpetrator should be able to evade justice by hiding behind national borders,” he said.
Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammals in the world, driven by high demand for their scales and claws in traditional medicine.
Pangolin scales have also been used to make handicrafts, including bags, wallets and other accessories. Their meat is considered a luxury delicacy in some Asian countries, while their leather has fueled demand in the United States for items such as boots, bags and belts.
Read also: Indonesian pangolin faces extinction due to trafficking: Study
A 2017 study ranked Indonesia among the top 10 countries involved in the international illegal pangolin trade, with as many as 10,000 pangolins lost to trafficking each year. Between 2010 and 2015, the equivalent of 35,632 Sunda pangolins was seized in 111 enforcement cases.
Reliable estimates of wild pangolin populations are unavailable, as these shy, nocturnal animals are extremely difficult to monitor. Nevertheless, all eight pangolin species are now threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Three species: the Chinese pangolin, the Philippine pangolin and the Sunda pangolin, are classified as critically endangered. (nal)
