TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - After successfully stopping an attempt to smuggle orangutan overseas in March, aviation security (Avsec) personnel of Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport foiled yet another attempted smuggling of protected animals in the form of baby otters.

“Thanks to the aviation security personnel, we managed to foil a passenger’s attempt to smuggle baby otters that were kept in a suitcase,” said the airport’s Angkasa Pura I general manager Haruman Sulaksono on Friday.

The passenger involved in the attempted smuggling is a Russian national with the initials “RT” who was set to depart from Indonesia on a Korean Air flight KE 634. Avsec personnel were suspicious after the passenger’s suitcase went through the x-ray scanner at the international departure terminal.

The suitcase was then searched and four baby otters were found inside.

Read: Chinese Citizen Arrested for Smuggling Baby Lobsters: Police

Haruman Sulaksono said the airport’s Avsec had coordinated with members of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) to follow-up on their findings. The baby otters are categorized by the BKSDA as an endangered species and protected by theIndonesian law.

After further security search, authorities discovered that the passenger also concealed a package filled with 10 scorpions.

“For the past three months we successfully foiled a number of attempts to smuggle contrabands, including protected animals and live ammunition,” said Haruman.

ANTARA