Indonesian Navy Thwarts Pangolin Scale Smuggling Worth Rp 46.8 Billion in Banten Waters

The Quick Response Team from the TNI AL (Indonesian Navy) Banten Base thwarted an attempt to smuggle pangolin scales by the Vietnamese-flagged vessel MV Hoi An 8 in the waters of Tanjung Sekong, Merak, Banten. Officers seized 780 kg of pangolin scales valued at Rp 4.68 billion. The discovery began with the patrol vessel KAL Anyer I-3-64 conducting routine patrols. The TNI AL detected the MV Hoi An 8, flying the Vietnamese flag, entering Merak waters at a speed of 7.3 knots and a heading of 190°.”The VBSS (Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure) team then conducted an inspection and search on board the vessel, discovering 26 white cardboard packages containing pangolin scales with a total weight of 780 kilograms,” said the Commander of Lanal Banten, Colonel Laut (P) Catur Yogiantoro, to reporters on Wednesday (8/4/2026). Officers subsequently secured the evidence and the ship’s captain. Based on preliminary examination, the perpetrators floated the smuggled goods at agreed coordinates.”Lanal Banten is still conducting further investigations into the case, including the possibility of involvement by an international network in the smuggling of protected wildlife. All evidence and related parties have been secured for further legal proceedings in accordance with applicable regulations,” he stated. Preliminary calculations estimate the total value of the seized pangolin scales at Rp 46.8 billion, assuming a price of Rp 60 million per kg.”The economic value of pangolin scales on the black market is estimated at Rp 60 million per kilogram, so the total value of the evidence is estimated at Rp 46.8 billion,” he added. The perpetrators are suspected of violating Law No. 32 of 2024 on the Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems, Law No. 17 of 2006 on Customs, and Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. P.106 of 2018 on the Protection of Protected Wildlife.