Indonesia: Raids intensified on illegal hunting in Bengkulu

Antara 16 May 13;

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - The Bengkulu Natural Resources Conservation Center said it will intensify raids on illegal hunt for wild life in the province.

The number of forest rangers from the center will be increased to launch raids on illegal hunts, which are growing rampant in the province lately , center head Anggoro Dwi Sujianto said here on Thursday.

The officers mostly in plain clothes would be sent to areas known to be illegal hunting grounds in the province, Anggoro said.

He said the hunting grounds are mainly in the regencies of North Bengkulu, Mukomuko, and Kaur and other areas bordering on forests.

The new illegal business surfaced after the Kepahiang police seized and foiled an attempt to sell tens of wild life species including scaly anteaters and snakes to a neighboring province on Monday night.

The Kepahiang police have set free the wildlife again in the Natural Tourism Park of Seblat in the regency of North Bengkulu.

Chief of the Kepahiang district police Adj. Sr. Comr. Sudarno said 25 scaly anteaters and ten of snakes were confiscated from traders.

The traders Sah (46) and Zak (50) from the regency of North Bengkulu told their investigators that they bought the wildlife from hunters.

They said they paid Rp325,000 for each of scaly anteaters to be sold at Rp375,000 . The prices of the snake varied depended on the size.

The two suspects admitted they had been long in the business selling wildlife to buyers in neighboring province.

The two offered Rp5 million for the officers arresting them to settle and not to process the case but their offered was rejected, Sudarno said.

(H-ASG/A014)

Editor: Jafar M Sidik