Kupastuntas.co, West Lampung - The West Lampung Police managed to arrest a resident with the initials ED 40 years old, a resident of Mekakau Ilir District, South Ogan Komering Ulu Regency, because he was caught wanting to sell a protected animal, a jungle cat with the Latin name Prionailurus Bengalensis.

West Lampung Police Chief AKPB Heri Sugeng Priyantho through Kasatreskrim West Lampung Police AKP M Ari Satriawan said the arrest of the suspected perpetrator of illegal trade in protected animals took place on Wednesday 22 February 2023 around 11.00 AM due to a report from the police. public.

"We received a report that there was a shipment of protected wild animals from Mekakau Ilir District, South Ogan Komering Ulu Regency to Lampung Province, precisely through the West Lampung border. Then we immediately conducted an investigation to find out the truth of the report," said Ari, Thursday, February 23, 2023.

After the investigation process was carried out, it was discovered that the suspected perpetrator wanted to cross the road in Bandar Baru Province, Sukau District. After knowing the characteristics of the suspected perpetrator's car, his team immediately examined the suspected perpetrator's car and found a brown wooden box containing protected wild animals.

"On Jalan Lintas Pekon Bandar Baru, Sukau District, the team immediately checked the car that allegedly belonged to the alleged perpetrator and during the inspection they found a brown wooden box containing a type of wild cat that was suspected to be for sale," he said.

During the inspection of the driver and passengers in the car, Ari said that the two of them were evasive and admitted that they did not know the owner of the box containing the protected animals. However, upon further interrogation, the owner of the car admitted that it was his.

"After in-depth interrogation it turned out that the owner of the box containing the bobcat was a passenger in the car, knowing this the team immediately secured the driver, passengers and evidence was taken to the West Lampung Police for further investigation," said Ari

During the arrest, the evidence that was successfully secured included a bobcat, an Avanza car with Police Number BG 1424 AE Frame Number MHKM1BA2JDK036721 and Engine Number MC35973 Made of Silver Metallic and a brown wooden cage used as an animal storage area.

For his actions, the perpetrator is threatened with the article referred to in Article 21 paragraph 2 letter a Jo Article 40 paragraph 2 of Law Number 05 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Living Natural Resources and their Ecosystems, which is punishable by imprisonment for a maximum of 5 years. (*)