West Java Police Uncover Illegal Trade of 4,000 Clear Lobster Seeds

The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimsus) of the West Java Regional Police has uncovered a case of alleged illegal trade involving 4,000 clear lobster seeds without a business permit in Pangandaran Regency. Deputy Director of Ditreskrimsus at the West Java Police, AKBP Edi Rahmat Mulyana, stated that four individuals have been named as suspects, identified by the initials HS, HR, BL, and AS. “Based on the investigation, the perpetrators deliberately conducted a fishery business involving the procurement and distribution of clear lobster seeds without possessing a business permit from the government,” Edi said in Bandung on Tuesday. He explained that HS acted as the business owner and the person who ordered the activity. HR was tasked with coordinating operations, BL served as the driver transporting the lobster seeds, while AS acted as a courier who picked up and delivered the seeds on the orders of HS and HR. During the operation, police seized 4,000 sand-type clear lobster seeds that had been packed into 20 plastic balloons, each containing 200 individuals. According to Edi, the suspects purchased the lobster seeds for Rp15,000 each and resold them in the Sukabumi area for Rp16,000 each, earning a profit of approximately Rp1,000 per traded seed. “They bought them for Rp15,000 each and sold them for Rp16,000 each. So they made a profit of Rp1,000 per seed. Based on the suspects’ statements, this activity had been ongoing since 2024 until their arrest on 19 May 2026,” he said. Meanwhile, West Java Police Head of Public Relations, Commissioner Hendra Rochmawan, stated that the illegal trade of clear lobster seeds is an environmental crime with long-term impacts on the sustainability of fishery resources. “This is an environmental crime with long-term consequences, threatening food availability and endangering the lobster population. Information suggests these seeds were to be sold abroad to be grown and then marketed at a much higher value,” Hendra said. The suspects are charged under Law Number 31 of 2004 concerning Fisheries as amended, along with other provisions regulating fishery business permits. They face a maximum prison sentence of eight years and a maximum fine of Rp1.5 billion.