Inp.polri.go.id - Batam.  Brigadier General Nunung Syaifuddin, the Indonesian National Police (INP) Criminal Investigation Agency’s Director of Certain Crimes, announced on Thursday (31/10/2024) that authorities are using information technology (IT) to track down smugglers of lobster seeds, known locally as benih bening lobster (BBL). 

The strategy aims to strengthen law enforcement against illegal trafficking.

“The latest investigation showed that these seeds were intended for sale in Malaysia, thanks to our IT tools and intelligence,” he said, as quoted by antaranews.com.

A joint team from the INP, the Customs Office, the Coast Guard (Bakamla RI), and Naval Base IV recently intercepted a smuggling attempt involving 189,000 lobster larvae, potentially costing the state around Rp 20 billion.

Although the smugglers escaped, authorities have identified the driver of the high-speed craft used in the operation, which was halted near Tandur Island, Batam. The police are also looking into the buyers, who are suspected to be located abroad.

The lobster smuggling network operates similarly to drug trafficking, using fragmented transactions to avoid detection. As lobster breeding peaks, smugglers exploit price differences, selling larvae for Rp 10,000 in Indonesia and up to Rp 150,000 in Malaysia.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)