TANGERANG: Customs and Excise officers at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have foiled the illegal export of 1,526 live turtles from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, to Ghuangzou, China, through the airport, an official said on Tuesday.

Customs and Excise director Permana Agung told reporters that he assumed the turtles, which arrived from Banjarmasin last Friday, were to be used for food and medicine.

He said that the turtles were documented as live turtles by the sender UD Menara Mas of Jl. Kapten Tendean No. 19, Banjarmasin, using Garuda flight GA 521. The senders did not have a document issued by the Ministry of Forestry stating that the turtles were not a protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as a Cites document.

The West Cengkareng Natural Resources Conservation Center said that the turtles consisted of two species: 1,423 Coura amboinensis turtles that required a Cites document, and 113 Biuku batagor baska, turtles. There is a ban on the export of Biuku batagor baska turtles.

Permana said he had not notified the exporter, but he said he would send several officers to Kalimantan to investigate the illegal business.

In January, the officers also foiled the illegal export of 328 turtles sent by CV Agro Asia Tunggal from Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, to Hong Kong.