File photo

JAKARTA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian police have nabbed four people suspected of trafficking four cubs of African lions, an adult leopard and 58 Indiana star tortoises which are on the brink of extinction, a police officer said on Tuesday.

The animals were smuggled into Indonesia through an illegal seaport in Riau province's town of Dumai, the provincial police's director for crimes Fribri Karpiananto said.

All the suspects were arrested separately in the province as two were nabbed last week and the other two were apprehended days ago, the officer said.

Trafficking of the species was ordered by a Malaysian whose role in the business has been investigated by the police.

The police have seized all the animals and handed them to the Provincial Natural Resources Conservation Agency, the officer said.

Under the country's law, the traffickers could face a 10-year jail term if convicted, he stressed.

Provincial Police Chief Inspector General Agung Setya Imam Effendi pointed out that police personnel would keep chasing other traffickers involved in the illegal business.

"This is part of organized international crimes with each person having his own task," he said.

The police chief believed that high prices of the species have encouraged the smuggling of the animals into the country.