Dyah Ayu Pitaloka Jakarta Globe 11 Feb 14;
Malang. Police have arrested three men allegedly responsible for the illegal harvesting and sale of coral from the southern coast of Malang, East Java, which environmentalists have blamed for the significant deterioration of the area’s natural underwater ecosystem.
“We caught the suspects based on tip-offs and information from residents,” Aldy Sulaeman, the Malang Police’s chief of detectives, said on Monday.
“Another suspect remains at large after hiding out in Srigonco village.”
The three suspects arrested were identified as Satuin, 33, and Iwan Fauzi, 25, both residents of Srigonco, and Bram Kumbara, 31, from neighboring Sidoarjo district.
Aldy said the alleged thieves had their individual roles in the syndicate: Satuin harvested the coral at low tide, Iwan transported it to the shore, while Bram Kumbara was the buyer.
Bram had been illegally purchasing the coral for as little as Rp 3,000 (25 cents) a chunk. He then sold the coral to buyers in Banyuwangi and Bali for Rp 5,000 a chunk, often for use in construction and interior decorating.
Police confiscated around 300 pieces of coral during the arrest, while an additional 720 pieces were found in the syndicate’s base of operations.
“The suspects admitted they had committed the same crime on three previous occasions,” Aldy said, adding they could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Andi Syaifudin, the chairman of Sahabat Alam (Salam), a conservation group focusing on coral reefs, mangroves and sea turtles, blamed residents’ lack of awareness for the illegal sale and subsequent destruction of coral reefs.
