SURABAYA: Authorities have arrested two Vietnamese citizens in East Java after they allegedly smuggled nearly 3,400 songbirds from Vietnam without the required health certificates or import documentation.
The suspects, identified only as LVT and LM, were detained during a raid last week at a warehouse in Kepatihan village, Sidoarjo regency.
Sr Comr Setyo Kusheriatno, head of special crimes investigation at the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri), said the two individuals were acting on instructions from another Vietnamese national, identified only as ALY.
"Their instructions were to guard the warehouse, inspect the birds, log the numbers of live and dead birds, and give the birds food and water," Setyo said.
"These birds were brought in from abroad without a health certificate from their country of origin, did not pass through designated points of entry and were not reported or surrendered to quarantine officials," he added.
According to Setyo, the seized birds comprised three popular species: Black-throated Laughingthrushes (Pterorhinus chinensis), Chinese Hwameis (Garrulax canorus) and Black-collared Starlings (Sturnus nigricollis).
Out of the total 3,394 birds at the warehouse, 3,233 birds were found alive, while 161 were found dead.
On the Indonesian market, these birds sell for between Rp1.5 million and Rp3 million (US$55-83) each, putting the total estimated value of the smuggled shipment between Rp4.8 billion and Rp9.6 billion.
Setyo said investigators have questioned 14 witnesses so far, including the warehouse manager and daily workers.
"This investigation is ongoing. We are conducting further inquiries to trace the birds' origins, map out the supplier network and identify distribution targets in Indonesia," Setyo said.
The two suspects have been charged under Article 33 of the 2019 Law on Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp10 billion.
Cicik Sri Sukarsih, director of Animal Quarantine at the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin), highlighted the severe biosecurity threat posed by the illicit activity, emphasising that Vietnam remains on alert for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
"Every importation of animals must fulfil quarantine requirements and enter through designated ports of entry to prevent the introduction and spread of animal diseases," she said.
She added that illegal shipments from regions with active HPAI cases present a significant disease transmission risk to local livestock and humans.
The surviving 3,233 birds are currently under the custody of the East Java Barantin for medical testing and undergoing quarantine.
Rosek Nursahid, founder of the wildlife conservation organisation ProFauna Indonesia, said that illegal imports of songbirds from neighbouring nations like Vietnam and Malaysia are directly driven by the depletion of Indonesia's own wild populations after decades of overhunting.
"In the past, poachers using basic nets and sticky sap could easily catch hundreds of birds in a single trip," Rosek said.
"Today, poachers can trek through forests for three to five days and consider themselves lucky to capture five to 10 birds."
With domestic demand remaining high among bird keepers, breeders and songbird contest enthusiasts, syndicates are sourcing specimens abroad to bridge the supply gap.
To curb the crisis, Rosek urged the Indonesian government to issue blanket protections for all wild bird species inhabiting forest reserves.
ProFauna also cautioned against releasing the seized birds into Indonesian forests, warning that foreign populations risk introducing novel pathogens, disrupting local ecosystems and failing to survive without lengthy rehabilitation. - Jakarta Post/ANN
