Indonesia/Jakarta: Quick Response Unit seizes 15 protected wildlife species in Jatinegara market

8 February 2008
Press Release

QUICK RESPONSE UNIT SEIZES 15 PROTECTED WILDLIFE SPECIES IN JATINEGARA MARKET, JAKARTA

Elang (Indonesian word for Eagle) Brigade of the Government’s Quick Response Unit, locally known as SPORC, has made a significant progress since its creation three years ago by conducting a confiscation operation in Jatinegara animal market, Jakarta, Indonesia on Sunday 3rd February 2008. The arrest was in collaboration with teams from the Monitoring Coordinator of Civil Investigator, the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Human and Natural Resources and the Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police, with the technical assistance of the Institute of Animal Advocacy (LASA) and the International Animal Rescue (IAR).

ProFauna Indonesia continues to monitor the Jatinegara market and has observed that many protected species are openly for sale freely unlike the more discreet illegal trade in Pramuka market, Jakarta. Therefore the SPORC team, which consists of qualified rangers, raided the market and recovered 15 protected wildlife species including two Leopard cats (Felis bengalensis), eight slow lorises (Nycticebus coucang), two Malayan porcupines (Hystrix brachyura), one otter civet (Cynogale bennetti) and two Black-winged kites (Elanus caeruleus). Some of them, an injured porcupine and an adult slow loris with an eye infection, were in a bad condition. The seizure animals were handed over to the Tegal Alur Animal Rescue Centre.

Two traders, Agus Sobari and Sarwo, were arrested. Both the SPORC and the Monitoring Coordinator of the Civil Investigator’s Department in co-ordination with the Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police, are investigating the crime. Irma Hermawati, the executive director of LASA stated,"The traders violated the 1990 law concerning the Natural Resources and the Ecosystem and are liable to a maximum five-year prison term and a maximum 100 million rupiah-fine".

SPORC coordinator, Joko Prihatno congratulated his team’s success and stated “The law enforcement operations shall continue to have a deterrent effect against the wildlife crime". Femke Den Haas, IAR coordinator, agrees with Prihatno's remark,"We need more operations because many big protected wildlife traders are still out there".

Rosek Nursahid, ProFauna Indonesia chairman added, " Seizures such as that in Jatinegara market should be conducted in other animal markets in the cities of Jakarta and Surabaya." Pramuka market in Jakarta and other animal markets in Surabaya are still selling many protected wildlife freely. Endangered wildlife species currently receive a high level protection provided under the 1990 wildlife law.

If you have any comment or question, please do not hesitate to contact our officer below:

Butet A. Sitohang
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ProFauna International
International Communication Officer
mail: international@profauna.org
mobile: +6281333899741

Source: ProFauna International
Author: Pro Fauna