14 DAY TRIAL // Yesterday, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced that a person believed guilty of smuggling live animals had been arrested in Indonesia, and was to be punished for their actions in accordance with the law.
On its website, the organization details that the wildlife trader was taken into custody by authorities working with the Ministry of Forestry in Bali, i.e. Indonesia's smallest province.
By the looks of it, the authorities who arrested this individual also confiscated four Javan gibbons, four baby siamangs (i.e. a type of black-furred gibbons), and two palm cockatoos, all of which are believed to have been destined for the black market.
The Wildlife Conservation Society wishes to stress that all of these species are currently endangered, and consequently benefit from legal protection.
Police officers have reasons to suspect that the trader they now have in custody is no stranger to illegal wildlife trafficking rigs that currently operate in Russia, Singapore, Thailand, and Cyprus.
In fact, it would appear that the four baby siamangs confiscated from the trader were all supposed to be sent to Russia and sold to people there.
What's more, the Wildlife Conservation Society says that, according to evidence at hand, it was only last month when this individual sent two komodo dragons to Thailand.
Over the years, the trader is believed to have also smuggled hornbill beaks, and turtle species that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature considers to be threatened.
Commenting on this arrest, Joe Walston with the organization said that, “WCS congratulates BKSDA Bali and the Jakarta National Police Investigation Division (CID) for arresting this notorious trader.”
Furthermore, “This arrest sends a message that Indonesia is serious about protecting its wildlife heritage from the ravages of the illegal wildlife trade.”
Ir. Sonny Partono, MM, director general of forest protection and nature conservation, also wished to stress that, “We will thoroughly investigate this international trade gang and ensure the offenders receive the maximum penalty under Indonesian Law No. 5 year 1990 on Natural Resources Conservation and Ecosystem.”