Airport customs official seize 3,500 cobras<\/p>\n
TANGERANG (JP): Customs and excise officials at Soekarno-Hatta
\nInternational Airport foiled an attempt on Saturday to smuggle a
\nshipment of 3,500 cobras, weighing a total of two tons, to
\nGuangzhou, China, an official said.<\/p>\n
Head of the airport's customs and excise office Heru Santoso
\ntold a news conference a few hours after the seizure that no one
\nhad been arrested.<\/p>\n
A man identified as Anton, who was listed as sender of the air
\nfreight, has been questioned.<\/p>\n
The snakes, which have an estimated value of around Rp 300
\nmillion (US$36,000) in China, were discovered on Saturday
\nafternoon in 140 boxes by customs officials, and those from the
\nairport's animal quarantine center, Heru said.<\/p>\n
The boxes were kept in the airport's storage room for two days
\nand were about to be loaded on board a China Southern Airlines
\nflight CZ-388 to China, he added.<\/p>\n
\"The freight was stamped with 'fresh fish' labels but when we
\nchecked it, each of the 140 boxes contained 25 cobras,\" Heru
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
When asked further about Anton's status, he said: \"We're not
\nsure whether he is the cargo's sender or owner and he is being
\nfurther questioned by the police.\"<\/p>\n
Cobras sell locally for between Rp 5,000 and Rp 10,000 each
\ndepending on size.<\/p>\n
The vast difference in prices has tempted many people to
\nsmuggle the reptile abroad.<\/p>\n
Besides being served for meals, cobras can be used for other
\nthings, such as their skin for leather products and their blood
\nand poison for medicines.<\/p>\n
According to the head of the quarantine center, Lukas A.
\nTonga, the snake is a protected species here and its exportation
\nand trade are forbidden under Law No.5\/1990 on Natural Resources
\nand Ecosystem Conservation and Convention on International Trade
\nin Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.<\/p>\n
The species is also regulated under Law No.16\/1992 for fish,
\nanimal and plant quarantine.<\/p>\n
\"Violators could face a maximum sentence of five years in
\nprison plus a Rp 100 million fine,\" Lukas added.<\/p>\n
The cobras were transferred on Saturday to quarantine for
\ntemporary care.<\/p>\n
Lukas said his men also confiscated 1,020 cobras in July last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
XXX VCDs<\/p>\n
During the weekend media briefing, Heru also discussed the
\nwork of airport customs officials over the past six months.<\/p>\n
From April to September, the office uncovered smuggling
\nattempts to import 263,948 illegal compact discs (CDs) and video
\ncompact discs (VCDs) worth a total of Rp 766.99 billion.<\/p>\n
Heru, however, gave no details on the countries of origin, the
\ndates or the number of suspects arrested.<\/p>\n
One of the latest success stories of the office, he said, was
\non Aug. 20 when his men seized some 65,000 pornographic VCDs plus
\n9,000 illegal VCDs wrapped in plastic bags packed in cardboard
\nboxes.<\/p>\n
The freight reportedly belonged to Surabaya-based firm CV
\nSinar Surya Genting, Heru said.<\/p>\n
The cargo was put in 80 pieces of luggage weighing a total of
\n1,995 kilograms to be transported by Malaysian Airlines flight MH
\n771.<\/p>\n
On the freight documents, the sender claimed the contents were
\n\"computer devices\", Heru said.<\/p>\n
After being left unclaimed at the airport for over a month,
\nthe customs officials opened it and found the illegal products
\ninside, he said.<\/p>\n
In terms of copy rights, the smuggling attempt represented
\nsome Rp 3.65 billion in losses, Heru said.<\/p>\n
All of the confiscated items have been transferred to the
\npolice as evidence.<\/p>\n
According to Law No. 12\/1997 on Copy Rights, illegal importers
\ncan be imprisoned for seven years and fined Rp 100 million.<\/p>\n
\"The case is being handled by Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police in
\ncooperation with the Association of Motion Pictures,\" Heru said.
\n(41\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/airport-customs-official-seize-3500-cobras-1447893297",
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