Smuggled Baby Lobsters Foiled in Batam
The Batam Customs Office has thwarted a massive smuggling operation, seizing 266,600 baby lobsters valued at 26.9 billion rupiah (US$1.6 million) in the waters of Bintan, Riau Islands.
Operation: Foiled Smuggling Attempt
According to a statement from the office’s head, Zaky Firmansyah, the operation began with a report regarding a high-speed craft suspected of smuggling baby lobsters to Malaysia on Saturday. "Based on the information, a team monitored the vessel," he added.
Team Foils Smuggling Attempt
The team successfully foiled the smuggling attempt and secured the vessel carrying 266,600 baby lobsters in 53 boxes. Firmansyah stated that the smugglers had switched from nighttime to daytime operations, but the team anticipated this by conducting routine patrols and surveillance measures.
Consequences of Smuggling
Smuggling baby lobsters is prohibited under the law, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of five billion rupiah (US$309,000). The seized baby lobsters were then released back into the waters of the Riau Islands.
Recent Smuggling Cases
On September 3, Customs released 275,000 baby lobsters into the waters of Batam city, secured during a joint operation with the Coast Guard in the waters near Topang Island. A week earlier, Customs also thwarted the smuggling of 177,300 baby lobsters worth 17.7 billion rupiah (US$1 million) in the waters off Pengelap Island and Abang Island.
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