2 Japanese arrested in Indonesia for trying to smuggle endangered birds

Friday 23rd October, 06:26 AM JST

JAKARTA —

Two Japanese nationals were arrested and later released on bail for trying to smuggle 15 birds—three of them being endangered Javan hawk-eagles—and a banded linsang from the Indonesian resort island of Bali to Japan, conservationists said late Thursday. Tri Prayudi, an official of nongovernmental organization Pro-Fauna Indonesia, said that the forest police of the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency or BKSDA arrested the two Japanese and five Indonesians on Oct 2.

‘‘We believe that those persons have been involved in an international wildlife trade syndicate,’’ Prayudi said. Besides the Javan hawk-eagles, the birds being smuggle were five spotted kestrels, a bared eagle-owl, two spotted wood-owls and four birds from the Accipitridae family.

According to Prayudi and the forest police, the birds and linsang were to be smuggled to Japan through Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport by cramming them in plastic gutter pipes.

The suspects were then released by the police after paying a 500 million rupiah (about $52,300) bail as a guarantee that they would not escape. The two Japanese are in Bali with their passports being held by the police, according to Prayudi.

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10 Comments

Klein2 at 07:07 AM JST - 23rd October

I hope they get their very own cage, birdseed, and water.
hellhound at 07:41 AM JST - 23rd October

Smuggling birds??????? Hahahhahahahahaha this IS dumb!!!! Can you get arrested for that??? Man this is pure dumb
kokorocloud at 08:08 AM JST - 23rd October

Well if some of them were endangered, why wouldn't you get arrested?

cramming them in plastic gutter pipes.

Well that's cruel. I'm glad these dirtbags got caught.
BurakuminDes at 10:34 AM JST - 23rd October

Reveal the names of these scumbags please JT. This is just the tip of the iceberg - Japanese are notorious for smuggling related crimes. Japanese criminals are often arrested in Aus for smuggling reptiles and birds. Let them do some time in a Bali prison!
Yelnats at 12:48 PM JST - 23rd October

cramming them in plastic gutter pipes.

Cruel and stupid. They would of all ended up dead. How would they have kept the birds quiet?
hanadecaka at 01:08 PM JST - 23rd October

They can write in book of birds its migrated from Japan to Indonesia in future.
ratpack at 02:29 PM JST - 23rd October

Any reason why these japanese names aren't released for all to see???
bokudayo at 05:27 PM JST - 23rd October

sounds like a skit from Monty Python.

Customers Officer: What's that chirping sound? Smuggler: Er.. nothing, sir. I always chirp when nervous. Chirp! Chirp! Customers Officer: You chirp out your hind end? Smuggler: Chirp! Well, you see officer... Chirp! I'm a ventriloquist. Chirpt!
nisegaijin at 05:38 PM JST - 23rd October

thats cuz there are huge rewards for bringing birds in. You get like 300 gran for a cockatoo.
IvanCoughalot at 06:58 AM JST - 24th October

Ah, but don'tforget - we Japanese love nature.