Smuggling of 47,872 Illegal Lobster Seeds Worth Rp7.1 Billion Thwarted in Jambi
The Criminal Investigation Team of the Jambi City Police (Polresta Jambi) has successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle tens of thousands of lobster seeds (benur) valued at approximately Rp7.1 billion. The illegal fishery commodity was believed to be destined for overseas via sea routes in Riau Province.
Jambi City Police Chief, Commissioner Boy Sutan Binanga Siregar, revealed that the interception took place on Monday night (1/6) on the Sumatra Highway, Danau Teluk District, a border area between Jambi City and Muarojambi Regency. Officers stopped a suspicious white Toyota Innova minibus.
“After an inspection and coordination with the Jambi Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Station, 10 styrofoam boxes containing lobster seeds packed in oxygenated plastic were discovered. The total reached 47,872 sand lobster seeds,” Commissioner Boy Sutan Binanga Siregar told the media on Tuesday (2/6).
Assuming a market price of around Rp150,000 per seed, the total economic value of the seized stock reaches Rp7,180,800,000.
Jambi City Police Criminal Investigation Unit Head, AKP Husni Abda, explained that the discovery followed community reports regarding illegal lobster seed shipments via land routes. Based on the investigation of two suspects, identified by the initials OD and AS, the seeds originated from the waters of Banten, Java, with the final destination being Pekanbaru, Riau.
To evade officers during the long journey through Lampung and South Sumatra, the perpetrators used a method of changing to fake licence plates in every province they passed through. Police seized five pairs of different licence plates.
“Every time they entered a different province, they changed the vehicle’s plates to match the local regional codes to avoid suspicion from officers on the road,” added AKP Husni Abda.
Currently, both suspects and the evidence have been detained at the Jambi City Police Headquarters for further investigation. Meanwhile, the tens of thousands of lobster seeds have been handed over to the Quarantine Station for a planned release into suitable habitats in the West Sumatra sea waters.
The suspects face charges under Article 92 in conjunction with Article 26, paragraph 1 of the Indonesian Law Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries, which carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison.