Indonesia Arrests Man in 3-Ton Pangolin Scale Smuggling Case

The Law Enforcement Center (Gakkum) for the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara region of Indonesia has named Tonni T. as a suspect in the smuggling of three tons of pangolin scales to Cambodia. He is currently detained at the Salemba detention center in Jakarta. According to Bambang Ari Wibowo, Coordinator of Investigators at Gakkum Jabalnusra's Jakarta Section I, Tonni was named a suspect after investigators obtained at least two pieces of evidence. This evidence includes the suspect's confession and testimony from witnesses at Customs, customs service companies, and export companies. "Tonni has admitted from the beginning that he knew the goods to be sent were pangolin scales. Witnesses from Customs, PPJK (customs service providers), and export companies also stated that the shipment was carried out by Tonni," Bambang told Mongabay. Authorities are currently pursuing two owners of the pangolin scales: Andi Agung M. and Vu Xuan Ha, alias Anthony, a Vietnamese national. They are also investigating the potential involvement of the PPJK and export companies involved in the planned shipment. The case files for Tonni have been submitted to the Public Prosecutor's Office (JPU) for examination before registration with the court. Gakkum is prosecuting Tonni under Article 40A paragraph (1) letter f in conjunction with Article 21 paragraph (2) letter c of Law Number 32/2024 concerning Amendments to Law Number 5/1990 on the Conservation of Natural Resources and their Ecosystems. Violations of this provision are punishable by imprisonment of 3 to 15 years and a fine of Rp200 million to Rp5 billion. Investigations revealed that the name of the pangolin scales intended for shipment had been changed, suggesting an attempt to conceal the smuggling operation. Photo: Customs officers at Tanjung Priok inspect pangolin scales intended for smuggling to Cambodia. Photo: Public Relations of Tanjung Priok Customs. The article was originally published on Mongabay.