Smuggling of 101 Protected Birds to Sri Lanka Foiled at Soekarno-Hatta Airport

Authorities in Indonesia have stopped an attempt to take 101 protected birds to Sri Lanka through Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang. The birds, from several species, had been packed into 15 cardboard packages and placed inside a suitcase carried by a Sri Lankan national identified by the initials NRRW.

Officials listed species including Papua magpies, mountain minivets, munias, parakeets, river and terrestrial flowerpeckers, white-eyes, scarlet minivets and lorikeets. They said the birds are protected under Indonesia's rules on the conservation of biological resources and ecosystems.

Duma Sari, head of Banten's Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine Agency, said the birds were discovered during an inspection on Saturday, September 5. She attributed the interception to coordinated monitoring by agencies operating at the airport, including quarantine officials, customs, aviation security, the Natural Resources Conservation Agency and other institutions.

"An airport is one of the strategic gateways for wildlife traffic. Therefore, synergy between Quarantine, Customs, Aviation Security, the Natural Resources Conservation Agency and related institutions is very important," Duma said. She added that cooperation allows potential violations to be detected more quickly and handled under each agency's authority.

The quarantine agency is coordinating with the conservation authority on inspection, investigation and further action. Officials are recording the seized birds, checking their health, identifying the species and verifying documents and quarantine requirements before determining how each animal will be handled.

“

An airport is one of the strategic gateways for wildlife traffic. Therefore, synergy between Quarantine, Customs, Aviation Security, the Natural Resources Conservation Agency and related institutions is very important.