Lampung Selatan (ANTARA) - The South Lampung Port Police (KSKP) in Lampung Province thwarted an attempt to smuggle 1,300 wild birds in a case linked to the illegal wildlife trade."The Bakauheni KSKP team secured various bird species, both protected and unprotected," Head of Bakauheni KSKP, Adjunct Police Commissioner Edy Saputro said in Kalianda on Saturday.
Officers also arrested the suspect, Hendrik Arum Eko Prasetyo, a resident of Pengampelan Village, Walantaka District, Serang City, Banten.
The birds were discovered during a routine inspection of a bus at Bakauheni Port on Friday, August 22, around 10:00 PM local time.
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The vehicle contained 1,300 wild birds, many suspected to be protected species, such as Sumatran Leaf-billed Sparrows and Javan Starlings.
"The birds lacked proper documentation. They originated from Kayu Agung, South Sumatra, and were bound for Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta," Saputro added.
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The birds were taken to the Bakauheni KSKP office for further investigation.
He noted that illegal wildlife trafficking remains rampant, with Bakauheni Ferry Port serving as a key transit point to Java.
