"The suspect, identified by his initial as D, 44, is a fisherman. D was arrested in the waters of Pemping Belakang Padang Island when he was about to make his way to the neighboring country (Singapore)," Chief of the Polairud Unit at the Balerang Police Commissioner Dwi Ramadhanto stated here on Friday.
Ramadhanto said among the protected marine biota are starfish, coral crabs, sea bunnies (jorunna parva), silver-mouthed turban (Turbo argyrostoma), Dog conch (Laevistrombus turturella), spiral babylon (Babylonia spirata), sea urchin, Soft coral, hard coral, clownfish, orange-spotted grouper, butterfly fish (Chaetodontidae), goat fish yellow clown goby, angel fish, and lionfish (Pterois).
"There are 2,258 fish and 473 coral reefs in total that would be smuggled into Singapore," he said.
The police had earlier received a tip-off on the illegal shipping of protected coral reef and fish from the waters of Belakang Padang Island into Singapore.
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Responding to the information, the police conducted night patrols and spotted a speedboat at the location.
"When we checked it, we found that the boat carried various types of coral reefs and fish that were planned to be transported to Singapore," he said.
The police then detained the boat and the fisherman at the Barelang Police precinct for further investigation.
The suspect admitted to have conducted the smuggling of marine biota on several occasions for which he communicated with a receiver in Singapore.
The suspect would be charged under article 40 of Law No. 5 of 1990 on Natural Resource Conservation, with a maximum jail term of five years and fine of Rp100 million, while violation of article 87 of Law No. 21 of 2019 on fish, animal, and plant quarantine attracted a maximum jail term of three years and fine of Rp3 billion.
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Translator: Ilham Y Pratama, Sri Haryati
Editor: Suharto
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