PIA steward nabbed for smuggling cockatoos<\/p>\n
TANGERANG (JP): A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight
\nattendant has been arrested by Soekarno-Hatta International
\nAirport officers for attempting to smuggle two black cockatoos to
\nKarachi, an official said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The black cockatoo is a protected species.<\/p>\n
Airport quarantine head Lukas A. Tonga told The Jakarta Post
\nthat Pakistani Khalid Azeem, 39, was apprehended at about 6 p.m.
\nTuesday at the departure gate of Terminal D.<\/p>\n
\"The PIA flight attendant was on his way to board the PIA
\nflight to Karachi which was scheduled to take off at 8 p.m. when
\nofficers saw something strange in the X-ray of his black bag,\"
\nLukas said.<\/p>\n
When examining the bag, the airport officers found the two
\nrare birds wrapped in a dark T-shirt, he said.<\/p>\n
According to Lukas, the two Probosciger aterrimus, locally
\nknown as alkai raja or kakatua hitam, are worth between US$1,500
\nand $2,000 each on black markets overseas.<\/p>\n
\"Here in Indonesia, people can illegally purchase the
\nprotected birds for only hundreds of thousands of rupiah each,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
For child<\/p>\n
According to Gabriel Hayon, one of Lukas' subordinates that
\ntook part in the arrest together with the airport's customs and
\nexcise officers, Azeem admitted that he bought the birds for his
\ntwo-year-old child in Karachi.<\/p>\n
\"He said he purchased the birds from unknown people in Bali a
\nfew days ago,\" Gabriel said.<\/p>\n
Azeem, however, did not say how much he paid.<\/p>\n
\"The suspect said he was in Indonesia for a week-long vacation
\nand spent a few days in Bali and then stayed at the Ibis hotel in
\nKemayoran, Central Jakarta, until Tuesday,\" Gabriel said.<\/p>\n
After hours of questioning, Azeem was transferred to Tangerang
\nPolice Station for further investigation.<\/p>\n
\"The two birds will remain with us until we get clarification
\nfrom the police to send them to either Taman Safari park (in
\nCisarua) or Ragunan Zoo (in South Jakarta) for care,\" Lukas said.<\/p>\n
The export and trade of the bird is forbidden under Law
\nNo.5\/1990 for Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation.<\/p>\n
The species is also regulated under Law No.16\/1992 for fish,
\nanimal and plant quarantine.<\/p>\n
\"Violators face a maximum sentence of three years in prison
\nand a Rp 150 million fine,\" Lukas said.<\/p>\n
According to Lukas, Azeem was traveling on Pakistani passport
\nnumber B 171980 issued in Karachi.<\/p>\n
When asked for confirmation of his status, none of the PIA
\nstaff here was willing to comment.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know ... I don't know about that,\" replied senior PIA
\nstaffer Siska.<\/p>\n
Last Saturday, airport officers also foiled an attempt to
\nsmuggle 1,024 cobras, which are also protected animals under
\nIndonesian law.<\/p>\n
Kept in 54 boxes labeled \"live eels inside\", the snakes were
\nabout to be loaded on board Singapore Airlines flight SQ163 to
\nChina.<\/p>\n
A 40-year-old man, Arifin, who handled the cargo's documents
\nwas put into police custody. (bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pia-steward-nabbed-for-smuggling-cockatoos-1447893297",
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