Ternate Police Thwarted Smuggling Attempt of 120 Parrots
Ternate Police Department, in North Maluku, thwarted a smuggling attempt of 120 parrots in Ahmad Yani Seaport, Saturday (30/7/2016). The protected birds were about to be shipped to Tanjung Pinang, Batam, on KM Dorolonda.
The Chief of Ternate PD, Kamal Bachtiar, said that the police got the tip about this smuggling from the people of Gane Timur, South Halmahera, who informed the authority that there were about 150 parrots being brought in to Ternate.
"From that piece of information, our personnel from Crime Unit and local police of North ternate went on a sweeping through some piers because we suspected that the birds would be transported on small motor boats, but we did not find any," said him on Saturday. "Later on we heard that the birds have been loaded onboard KM Dorolonda, which was scheduled to leave Ternate on Saturday."
From the following search on KM Dorolonda, the police found 120 parrots in Deck 8. The parrots were jammed into PVC pipes which were then packed together into bags. They were going to be lifted up from the machine room in Deck 8 to through the hull using ropes at night.
In addition to the parrots, the police also arrested one suspect, MO. The evidence birds will be handed over to North Maluku Nature Conservation Agency for treatments, while the alleged smuggler has been taken into custody.
Source: Kompas.com