Quarantine Authorities Thwart Wild Animal Meat Smuggling

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) has thwarted an attempt to ship hundreds of kilograms of wild animal meat from Bastiong Ferry Port in Ternate, North Maluku, to Bitung, North Sulawesi.

Officers from the North Maluku Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine Center intercepted the shipment during routine monitoring of the passenger ferry KMP Portlink VIII, which was preparing to depart for Bitung.

During the inspection, officers discovered six boxes containing 200 kilograms of wild boar meat mixed with 70 kilograms of python meat and 88 dead bats. None of the commodities were accompanied by the mandatory quarantine documents.

“In the operation, officers detained 200 kilograms of wild boar meat, 70 kilograms of python meat, and 88 dead bats. This action was taken because all of these commodities were not equipped with the required quarantine documents as stipulated by prevailing regulations,” North Maluku Quarantine Center head Sugeng Prayogo said in Ternate on Thursday, February 12, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Sugeng said the enforcement action began with routine vessel inspections prior to departure. After the shipment was secured, the owner failed to appear, prompting officers to place the goods under quarantine.

He stressed that all animal and plant products transported into or out of a region must be reported to quarantine officers and accompanied by valid documentation at both the point of departure and arrival, as mandated by Law No. 21/2019 on Animal, Fish and Plant Quarantine.

“If they are not reported and are not equipped with the required documents, it constitutes a legal violation,” he said.

Sugeng added that the operation also forms part of heightened vigilance against the potential spread of the Nipah virus (NiV). Scientifically, bats are known as the natural reservoir of the virus, while pigs and wild boar can serve as intermediate hosts capable of transmitting the virus to other animals and humans.

“Although there have been no reported cases of Nipah virus in Indonesia to date, environmental changes, ecological factors, and the movement and trade of carriers that do not meet quarantine requirements have the potential to increase the risk of the disease entering and spreading within Indonesian territory,” he said.

The North Maluku quarantine agency said the confiscated commodities would be destroyed in accordance with prevailing regulations. The measure aligns with Circular Letter No. 320/2026 issued by Barantin chief Sahat M. Panggabean, which calls for increased vigilance to prevent the entry of the Nipah virus into Indonesia.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to tightening supervision of the movement of animal and plant commodities to safeguard animal health, public health, and national biosecurity. ***