Carrying Elephant Tusk, Two Pidie Residents Arrested
Protected animals such as Sumatran elephants, orangutans and tigers are hunted for sale.
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By
ZULKARNAINI
·3 minutes read
DOK POLDA ACEH
Two suspects involved in elephant ivory trading were detained by police officers in Sigli, Pidie Regency, Aceh on Thursday (25/4/2024). The perpetrators face a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment.
SIGLI, KOMPAS - Two residents from Pidie Regency, Aceh Province, were arrested by police officers for carrying a pair of elephant ivory tusks. The ivory from the protected animal is suspected to be intended for trading.
The Director of Criminal Investigation for the Aceh Regional Police, Commissioner Winardy, stated on Saturday (April 27, 2024) that two suspects who were arrested were named MD (50) and BSR (30), both residents of Pidie. They were arrested on Thursday (April 25, 2024) night at Pasar Kota Mini, Mutiara Timur District, Pidie.
"The police confiscated evidence in the form of two elephant tusks. "There are indications of illegal transactions in elephant ivory," said Winardy.
The police received information from a resident that the perpetrator was carrying elephant tusks to be sold. When searched inside the minibus, a pair of white tusks were found. The police are still investigating the source or origin of the tusks.
As stipulated in Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems, possessing a protected wildlife body parts without permission is a criminal act.
The sale of elephant ivory is one of the most frequently occurring cases of wildlife crime. Wild elephants in Aceh's forests are hunted for their ivory and sold on the black market. Elephant ivory from Aceh is sold even overseas.
"The perpetrator faces a prison sentence of up to 5 years and a maximum fine of IDR 100 million," said Winardy.
The Sumatran elephant is now endangered. Aceh is one of the areas inhabited by Sumatran elephants. However, the population is thought to be shrinking as deaths continue to occur.
The Indonesian Environmental Forum's (Walhi) notes show that from 2015 to 2021, a total of 63 elephants in Aceh died. The causes of their deaths were as follows: 10 were hunted, 16 died due to illness or natural causes, and 27 died due to conflict.
In some cases, poachers deliberately poison the elephant and then take its tusks after they die.
The estimated population of elephants in Aceh is currently about 539. With an average annual death rate of 10 elephants, it is feared that elephants will become extinct in 50 years. It's even more concerning that 85 percent of the elephant population is currently outside conservation areas.
Environmental activist from Harimau Kita Aceh, Tezar Pahlevi, stated that protected species from Aceh are being sold abroad. In addition to tigers, orangutans and elephants are also among the most hunted.
DOK BKSDA ACEH
A pair of tusks belonging to Bunta, a tame elephant who was killed in East Aceh, has been handed over to the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency.
"This is not unrelated to the fact that Aceh still has forests that are better than other regions. The same goes for the biodiversity that we have, which includes endemic species such as elephants, tigers, rhinos, and orangutans, still living together in one area," said Tezar.
The Aceh Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) repeatedly urges the public not to hunt protected wildlife. In addition to facing criminal charges, the death of protected wildlife can disrupt the natural ecosystem. Animals serve as agents of reforestation and natural preservation.
