Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia's national police on June 11 announced they have prevented an illegal trade ring involving the scales of around 200 pangolins – a species currently under protection.
Brigadier General Nunung Syaifudin, director of certain crimes at the criminal investigation unit, said the police have captured and detained one person delivering the scales to consumers and another person searching for pangolins.
The evidence successfully confiscated was 30.5 kilogrammes of pangolin scales, which were believed to have been gathered from 200 pangolins that had been killed. The suspects could face a 15-year prison term and be required to pay a fine if found guilty, according to him.
The scales, sourced from Garut Regency in West Java province, have high economic value and can be used as raw materials in the production of traditional medicines./.

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