Two expats arrested for smuggling rare species

JAKARTA (JP): Two Japanese were arrested at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for trying to smuggle protected species out of the country, police said yesterday.

City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said the two men had attempted to smuggle 33 malu-malu (loris or Nycticebus coucang), four alap-alap eagles (Elanus hypoleocus), three Rajawali hawks and two owls.

Seventeen of the malu-malu had died. The animals were in a box.

"The two men, Shibano Tosaihito and Kitaoka Isao, were arrested by an airport customs officer on Friday while they were trying to leave Jakarta for Japan on a Japan Airlines flight," Aritonang said.

"Malu-malu is sold for only Rp 10,000 each in its native Sumedang, West Java, and Rp 40,000 in Pramuka market, East Jakarta. But in Japan, it is sold for around Rp 4 million each," said the Ministry of Forestry's city's head, Purwadi Mangunwardoyo.

Purwadi said that having a malu-malu for a pet was a new trend in Japan and is occasionally found in markets there.

Purwadi said an eagle usually sold for around Rp 4.8 million in Japan, while black hawks were more expensive.

He said the two Japanese had violated articles 21 and 40 of regulation 5/1990 on the ecosystem and conservation of natural resources.

Aritonang said if found guilty, the two men could face five years in jail and Rp 100 million in fines. The two are now held at City Police headquarters.

"The two, who insisted on speaking in Japanese, said they were decorative-fish traders in Japan. They have visited Indonesia a couple of times for fish," Aritonang said.

The two were believed to have bought the protected species at Pramuka market, a site of earlier transactions on protected species.

Purwadi said it was the first known smuggling case this year. "There were three smuggling cases last year by foreigners from Japan and Brunei Darussalam."

He said that orangutan, Arwana fish, Napoleon fish and parrots were the species most smuggled.

Purwadi said a license from the conservation of natural resource offices was required for the ownership of certain animals. Licenses should be renewed each year. (cst)