101 birds seized from Sri Lankan national at Soekarno-Hatta Airport

Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA) - A smuggling attempt of 101 birds by a Sri Lankan national from Indonesia has been foiled by joint officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten.

Head of Banten Quarantine Office Duma Sari stated that the Sri Lankan national, identified with initials NRRW, was held at the airport after being found with 101 birds of various species on Saturday.

An initial search by officers from the aviation security, the customs agency, and the quarantine office found protected species, namely the crimson sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) and loriini, among the birds smuggled by the foreign national.

“Crimson sunbird and loriini are among the species protected by Indonesian laws and regulations on natural resources conservation,” she noted.

Other bird species found by the officers include sunda minivet, hawfinch, parakeet, eurylaimidae, and zosterops.

According to Sari, the birds were packed in 15 small cardboard boxes hidden in a suitcase for international flights to Sri Lanka when it was found by the officers before departure.

The Banten quarantine office is coordinating with the province’s Natural Resources Conservation Office (BKSDA) and other agencies for legal actions against the Sri Lanka national and the animals attempted to be smuggled.

Meanwhile, all the birds rescued from the smuggling attempt underwent health checks, identification, and document verification processes. "These steps are taken to determine the status and further treatment of the animals," she added.

"The airport is a strategic gateway for the transportation of animals. Synergy between the quarantine, customs, AVSEC, natural resources, and related agencies is important to ensure faster detection of law violations,” Sari said.

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Translator: Azmi Syamsul Ma'arif, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
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