Forest Cat Successfully Rescued from Illegal Wildlife Trade, One Suspect Arrested by Police

One forest cat has been successfully rescued by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the West Lampung Police Department from illegal wildlife trade. The protected species, scientifically named Prionailurus bengalensis, was seized while being smuggled from South Sumatra to Lampung.

The revelation began when the Criminal Investigation Unit received information that there would be a shipment of protected wildlife using a travel vehicle bound for Lampung. At that time, the officers moved quickly and were able to locate the vehicle on the Sumatra South - Lampung highway.

One suspect was arrested by the police in connection with the illegal wildlife trade syndicate. The suspect, identified by the initials ED (40), is a resident of the Ogan Komering Ulu Selatan Regency in South Sumatra province. ED admitted to obtaining the forest cat from a farmer in his area.

Through police interrogation, it was found that the perpetrator had frequently committed such illegal trading activities. Currently, the police will continue their investigation as it is suspected that there are other perpetrators who have often traded protected wildlife in the West Lampung Regency.

The suspect is currently being held in custody at the West Lampung Police Department headquarters. To hold him accountable, the perpetrator faces a maximum prison sentence of 5 years. The police are committed to combating illegal wildlife trade in order to protect protected species in Indonesia.