Authorities Thwart 1,220 Pig-nosed Turtles Smuggling Attempt

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Security officers of Mozes Kilangin Airport Timika, Papua have thwarted an attempt to smuggle thousands of pig-nosed turtles to Jakarta by Sriwijaya Air flight, Thursday, March 24, 2016.

Conservation Division Chief of Region II Timika Yohan Frans Mansay said that the number of pig-nosed turtles attempted to be smuggled was 1,220.

The turtles were packed in two cardboard boxes. “A person, with the initial “S”, carried an item to Timika Airport terminal. During the examination in x-ray machine, officers had suspicions about the item before [eventually] seizing it. The officers called the quarantine agency. Upon checking the cardboard boxes, they found thousands of protected pig-nosed turtles in it,” Yohan said.

He said the turtles were taken to Timika Airport Police Sector before being handed over to Timika natural conservation agency (KSDA) to be secured in tailing reclamation area of PT Freeport Indonesia in Maurupauw, MP 21.

“S” works as ground handling officer of Sriwijaya Air at Mozes Kilangin Airport Timika. Yohan could not confirm on who the owner of hundreds of pig-nosed turtles was. “We have reported it to Papua’s Head of BKSDA [conservation center]. We will wait for the arrival of civil service investigators to investigate the case,” he said.

“We call for support from all parties to help us in preventing pig-nosed turtles smuggling from Papua because it’s a protected species,” Yohan said.

In February, Timika Airport authorities had also thwarted smuggling attempt of 3,220 pig-nosed turtles from Timika to Jakarta which was packed in four luggages.

Pig-nosed turtle is a protected species endemic to Papua. The endangered species live only in southern districts of Papua, such as Mappi, Asmat and Mimika.

ANTARA