Man Arrested in Jayapura for Selling Rare Birds on Facebook

The Ministry of Forestry’s Law Enforcement division has arrested a man, identified as MH (35), in the Entrop area of Jayapura, Papua, for allegedly trading protected wildlife via Facebook. The operation, conducted by a joint team, led to the seizure of several rare birds, including five Black-capped Lories (Lorius lory), one Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus roratus), and one Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), along with four cages.

Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, stated that the arrest demonstrates the government’s commitment to combating illegal wildlife trade, which has increasingly shifted to digital platforms. He emphasised that law enforcement must adapt to technological advancements to effectively tackle such crimes.

The investigation began with cyber patrols that identified the suspect’s activities on Facebook. Following field verification, a joint operation by the Region III Jayapura Operations Section and the Papua Police’s Civil Servant Investigator Supervisory Corps raided the suspect’s residence. The suspect is now in custody and faces charges under Article 40A paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 21 paragraph (2) of Law No. 32 of 2024 on the Amendment to Law No. 5 of 1990 on Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems. If convicted, he faces a minimum of three years and a maximum of 15 years in prison, along with fines ranging from Rp200 million to Rp5 billion.