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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

Indonesia Seizes Foreign Vessel Smuggling 1.2 Tons of Napoleon Fish

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Indonesian authorities intercepted a foreign vessel smuggling 1.2 tons of live Napoleon fish in the Sulawesi Sea.
  • The vessel, MV Silver Island, disabled its tracking system but was captured while hiding the protected fish in a modified compartment.
  • The estimated state loss from the smuggling attempt, which aimed to send the fish to Hong Kong, was Rp 16 billion.

Indonesian authorities have captured a foreign vessel attempting to smuggle 1.2 tons of live Napoleon fish, a protected species, to Hong Kong. The MV Silver Island, flying the flag of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, was intercepted in the Sulawesi Sea by the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries' Orca 04 Patrol Vessel.

This capture is our action from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

— Pung Nugroho SaksonoDuring a press conference at the Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance Base in Bitung, announcing the capture.

According to the Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance, Pung Nugroho Saksono, the vessel had been a long-term target. MV Silver Island had disabled its Automatic Identification System (AIS) to evade detection, but authorities tracked it between Nunukan and Toli-toli. The smugglers concealed the fish in a secret compartment disguised as a regular warehouse, making inspection difficult.

The Napoleon fish was placed in an unusual part of the vessel, which is difficult for inspection officers to access. The door is even secret and must go through the ship's spare part warehouse.

— Pung Nugroho SaksonoDescribing the method used to hide the smuggled fish.

Officials discovered hundreds of live Napoleon fish, estimated to be over 900 individuals, totaling 1.2 tons. Cargo documents falsely listed only grouper fish. The vessel had departed from Sumenep, East Java, and its owner and captain are foreign nationals from Hong Kong. The estimated state loss, considering the value of the protected fish and potential taxes, amounts to Rp 16 billion.

We will continue this case to legal proceedings. We will delve into and develop it according to the findings available.

— Pung Nugroho SaksonoStating the ministry's intention to pursue legal action.

The suspects face charges under Indonesia's Fisheries Law, with potential maximum sentences of six years imprisonment and a Rp 1.5 billion fine. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries plans to pursue legal proceedings to further investigate the case. The MV Silver Island, a 492 GT live fish carrier, was reportedly carrying the protected fish from Sumenep to Hong Kong based on public reports.

The capture began from the public report on the indication that MV Silver Island was illegally carrying a protected fish type from Sumenep, East Java, to Hong Kong.

— Teuku ElvitrasyahExplaining the origin of the information that led to the capture.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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