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A Chinese freediving instructor has been arrested in Indonesia over allegations that he used a speargun to kill a protected sea turtle in the waters of Raja Ampat before the animal was butchered and cooked.
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The Chinese national, identified in local reports as Wei Shang, was intercepted by immigration officers at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar on Monday as he was preparing to leave Indonesia.
Authorities acted after the Raja Ampat regency government made an urgent request for immigration officials to prevent him from leaving the country while allegations surrounding the incident were investigated.
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Wei, who has been identified in reports as an AIDA International Instructor Trainer, is alleged to have been involved in the killing of a hawksbill sea turtle in the Piaynemo area of Raja Ampat.
Footage circulated online appears to show a diver carrying a speargun underwater and aiming it at a sea turtle resting near a coral reef. Separate images and videos purportedly show the turtle after it had been killed, butchered and cooked.
The footage spread rapidly through Indonesian and international diving communities, prompting an Indigenous community patrol group to report the suspected poaching to local authorities.
The Raja Ampat government subsequently submitted supporting material to immigration officials, including a patrol report, photographs of the alleged spearfishing, footage relating to the dead and cooked turtle, identification and certification documents, information on where the suspect had been staying, and witness accounts.
Local authorities stressed that determining whether a criminal offense had been committed and who should bear responsibility would be a matter for law enforcement following investigation and examination of the evidence.
Reports said the case could also have consequences for Wei’s professional diving credentials.
According to mainland media, Wei denied being involved in the incident and said the person shown in the footage was someone else. He also said he had been subjected to online harassment and declined to comment further. His social media account later appeared to have been restricted.
Raja Ampat, an archipelago of more than 1,500 small islands, reefs and shoals in Indonesia’s Southwest Papua province, is internationally known for its marine biodiversity and is one of the country’s best-known diving destinations.
Indonesia affords legal protection to all six sea turtle species found in the country. Hawksbill turtles are specifically included on the list of protected wildlife under the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s 2018 regulation.
