Govt hunts animal smuggler from KL

Govt hunts animal smuggler from KL

YOGYAKARTA: The Ministry of Forestry is tracking down an
international animal smuggler from Malaysia who is believed to be
in Greater Jakarta.

He is suspected of serious collusion with local officials at
the ministry in supplying wild animals to be sold overseas, the
ministry's illegal logging eradication center head, Transtoto
Handhadari, alleged on Thursday.

He added that the smuggler's identity would be disclosed soon.

Transtoto also reported that the government was negotiating
the return of 45 orangutans smuggled to Thailand's Safari World.
"It is an attractive illegal business, because each orangutan
could be worth US$40,000," he suggested.

Currently, there have been 218 orangutans returned to a
rehabilitation center in East Kalimantan, 367 in Central
Kalimantan (132 of which have been released) and 48 in Jambi (33
released). --JP