Bali Police Intercept Smuggling Attempt, Rescue 21 Live Green Sea Turtles

RRI.CO.ID, Denpasar - The Bali Regional Police’s Directorate of Water and Air Police (Ditpolairud) has successfully dismantled an illegal wildlife trafficking operation on the coast of Buleleng Regency, rescuing 21 critically protected green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) kept bound and alive by smugglers.

Law enforcement officers intercepted the maritime smuggling ring during a nighttime raid, arresting a senior suspect at the scene. The operation marks a major crackdown on the illicit wildlife trade routes linking East Java's waters to coastal distribution nodes in Bali.

During a press briefing in Denpasar, Head of Law Enforcement Sub-directorate (Subdit Gakkum) at Ditpolairud Bali, AKBP Nanang Pri Hasmoko, said that the official raid was executed following intensive field surveillance compiled under Police Report Number: LP/A/7/VI/2026/SPKT.DITPOLAIRUD/POLDA BALI, dated June 11, 2026.

The counter-trafficking operation was initiated after coastal communities living near Pegametan Beach noticed suspicious maritime activities and alerted authorities. Acting swiftly on the intelligence, tactical units deployed to the shoreline.

On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at approximately 10.00 p.m. local time, police units ambushed a makeshift holding site on the coast of Pegametan Beach, located within Sumberkima Village, Gerokgak Subdistrict, Buleleng. "At that location, officers caught and secured a man with the initials KS (67)," he said, as quoted by Antara.

The elderly suspect, a resident of the nearby Seririt Subdistrict, is believed to have acted as a local custodian and warehouse keeper responsible for storing the contraband before it hit the black market. During initial interrogations, KS confessed that the 21 green sea turtles had been shipped across the sea by a supplier named I from Madura waters in East Java.

Investigators revealed that the suspect was assigned to intercept the shipment at Pegametan Beach, where the animals were scheduled to be picked up and resold by another syndicate member identified as KMG.

While KS remains under tight police custody, Ditpolairud has launched a manhunt for two key accomplices who have officially been placed on the state's wanted list (DPO). These include I, a 30-year-old supplier from Madura, and KMG, a 35-year-old receiver based in Buleleng.

In addition to rescuing the 21 live green sea turtles, officers confiscated a grey Nokia HMD mobile phone used by the suspect to coordinate delivery logistics. Multiple eyewitnesses have already been cross-examined by investigators to map out the syndicate's broader network.

The suspect faces severe legal repercussions under Indonesia's recently updated conservation frameworks. Prosecutors are charging KS under Article 40A paragraph (1) letter d Jo. Article 21 paragraph (2) letter a of Law No. 32/2024 (amending Law No. 5/1990 on the Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Ecosystems), in conjunction with Law No. 1/2026 on Penal Adjustments.

Under these overlapping statutes, the suspect faces a maximum prison sentence of up to 15 years, alongside substantial financial fines ranging from Category IV to Category VII, for poaching, capturing, storing, possessing, and trafficking live, protected wildlife.

"Currently, the suspected perpetrator along with the evidence are at the Bali Regional Police Ditpolairud Headquarters to undergo the investigation process and case development to pursue other perpetrator networks," AKBP Nanang concluded. ***