Inp.polri.go.id - Medan.  The North Sumatra Center for Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine (BBKHIT) and the Customs Office has foiled an illegal attempt to ship 6,527 preserved butterflies, along with 20 live centipedes and 200 live spiders, to Hanoi, Vietnam via Kualanamu International Airport.

The total estimated value of the seized items reaches Rp 299 million.

“These specimens were intended for collectors in Hanoi,” said BBKHIT Head N. Prayatno Ginting on Thursday (12/6/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

The butterflies originated from Morowali in Central Sulawesi and Ambon in Maluku, while the centipedes and spiders came from Batu Bara in North Sumatra.

A man identified by initials ASR (43) has been detained for questioning but not yet declared a suspect, pending investigation.

Though not classified as pests, the animals were transported without proper health certificates and required documentation, violating Article 34 of Law No. 21/2019 on Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)