23 March
2019
A Russian
man has been arrested in Bali on suspicion of trying to smuggle a young
orangutan out of Indonesia.
The
two-year-old male was found drugged inside a rattan basket when Andrei Zhestkov
was stopped at security at Denpasar airport on Friday night.
Mr
Zhestkov is said to have told officials he was given the primate by a friend
who bought it for $3,000 .
Orangutans
are a protected species and Mr Zhestkov could face up to five years in prison
if convicted.
"The
Russian also had injections and drugs in his bag. He said
he planned to re-administer the drugs when they transited" in
South Korea, Dewa Delanata, from the airport's quarantine office, told the
Jakarta Post.
Two live
geckos and five lizards were also found in the passenger's luggage.
According
to the authorities, Mr Zhestkov, 27, said he was convinced by his friend, also
Russian, that it would be okay to take the orangutan back to Russia to keep as
a pet.
The
animal is being looked after by the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency.
Orangutans
face threats from poachers and farmers in Indonesia.
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