We have strengthened the cyber patrol team to check all accounts on social media with an indication of trading activities in protected animals
Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) is tightening cyber patrols to prevent trade in protected animals and plants.

"There are many ways of selling and smuggling protected animals, plants, and animal body parts," the ministry's Director General of Law Enforcement, Rasio Ridho Sani, stated on Thursday.

Currently, Sani remarked that wildlife trade crimes are no longer committed through conventional ways but by using social media and online sales, which had also resulted in changes in monitoring.

"Therefore, we must change our supervision as well. We have strengthened the cyber patrol team to check all accounts on social media with an indication of trading activities in protected animals," he remarked.

His side had also collaborated with Interpol to deal with cross-border trade in protected animals.

Related news: Forest rangers should step up monitoring capacity: Deputy Minister

"Trading of protected animals and plants is a transnational crime. Thus, Interpol is involved. We also have the authority to investigate criminal acts of money laundering related to animal trafficking activities," Sani stated.

Apart from the cyber patrol team, he noted that monitoring is also conducted at ports and airports to prevent inter-regional animal smuggling.

"There are smuggling practices through airplane cargo and at ports, including at Bakauheni Harbor, which is the gateway to Sumatra Island, so we are increasing supervision at ports and airports," he noted.

In addition, the government will increase the frequency of patrols at various areas, including in Lampung, to protect endemic animals from being bought and sold, Sani remarked.

In 2019, the Rapid Response Forestry Police Unit (SPORC) carried out 1,152 operations and succeeded in securing approximately 14 million hectares of forest area, 939,275 cubic meters of wood, 22,011 animals, and 9,534 animal body parts from being illegally sold.

Related news: Sustainable forest management yields positive results in 2023: govt

Translator: Ruth Intan S K, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2024