Govt agencies implicated in animal smuggling

Govt agencies implicated in animal smuggling

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The customs agency, airport security and the Soekarno-Hatta
Animal Quarantine office often work in cahoots with smugglers
to bring protected animals out of the country, a source at
the Soekarno-Hatta Animal Quarantine office says.

"There are a lot of parties involved, you can't just blame
one agency," said the source, who wished to remain anonymous,
when asked to comment on the smuggling of 50 emerald monitor
lizards to Croatia in November.

He said the 50 lizards, which were put in a carry-on bag in
the airplane cabin's overhead compartment, had to pass at least
two x-ray checkpoints at the Soekarno-Hatta airport.

"Besides customs and airport security personnel, quarantine
officers are also supposed to be present at the checkpoints,"
said the source.

Dalvir Kumar, a Croatian citizen, traveled from Jakarta to
Zagreb, Croatia on Nov. 28. At the Zagreb airport, a Croatian
Customs Officer told Kumar that his luggage had to be inspected.
Kumar then declared to the officer that he was in possession of
50 live emerald monitor lizards. Soon afterwards, airport
officials discovered that the emerald monitors were a protected
species and that Kumar did not possess the necessary documents,
including a CITES export permit from Indonesia.

At least 33 of the monitor lizards arrived back in Jakarta
last Thursday.

The source said there are numerous other ways for animals to
be smuggled besides being carried on to the airplane cabin.

He said one such loophole often exploited by illegal wildlife
traders was to smuggle the animals to a country not bound by the
Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES), which protects over 25,000 plant species
and 5,000 animal species.

"If the animal is going to a CITES member country, we will
only issue a certificate if there is an accompanying CITES
document," said the source at the quarantine office. "However, if
it is going to a non-CITES country..."

For a protected animal, such as the emerald monitor lizard, to
leave Indonesia to another CITES country, an export permit must
be obtained through the Ministry of Forestry. Once at the
airport, the animals are inspected by the airport quarantine, and
if healthy, are given a health certificate.

Out of the 191 nations who are United Nations members, there
are 24 countries that are not bound by CITES, including Angola,
Armenia, Bahrain, Haiti, Iraq, Oman, and Lebanon. Both Croatia
and Indonesia have ratified the CITES.

The head of the Soekarno-Hatta customs office, Nofrial, could
not be reached for comment.

Animal activists also agreed that the smuggling of protected
animals indicated collusion between officials in airports and the
smugglers.

"Without collusion between relevant officials at the airport,
such an illegal practice would never happen," said member of
Supervisory Council of the Tegal Alur Wild Animal Center (PPS)
Pramudia Harzani on Tuesday.

According to Pramudia, there was also an effort to smuggle
some 60 protected animals, mostly birds and monkeys, on Feb. 2,
which was foiled by the customs office.

A similar comment was made by Irma Hermawati of the Animal
Advocacy Institute (LAS).

She called on the police to investigate the case thoroughly so
that such illegal practices could be prevented.

Animal smuggling is a violation of Law No. 5/1990 on
biodiversity conservation.

"Without tough action against the smugglers and those who are
involved in the practices, such incidents will happen again and
again," Irma told The Jakarta Post.