Indonesian Officials Arrested MRA for Illegal Ownership of Ivory

Rapid Response Unit Area II Samarinda (Law Enforcement Office of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry) and Nunukan Police Department arrested an alleged owner of 5 ivories on Wednesday (3/5/2017) at 22.00 local time. The offender, a Indonesian citizen from Tawao, Sabah Malaysia, was arrested at Jalan Pelabuhan Baru, Nunukan, North Kalimantan.

The offender, MRA (37), is currently being held in custody at Nunukan Penitentiary since 4 May 2017 while the evidence is being examined by East Kalimantan Nature Conservation Agency.

The case began on 13 January 2017 when MRA set from Tawao to Tunontaka, Nunukan, on Malindo Ekspress ferry on 12.00 local time. Custom officers in Nunukan suspected MRA's luggage during x-ray scan. Later they found out that the luggage contained 5 pieces of ivory.

As stated by Law no.5 of 1990 concerning the Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Its Ecosystem, MRA is liable to a maximum 5 years of prison and IDR 100 million fines for illegal ownership of protected species body parts.

"We appreciate this law enforcement effort. More importantly, we are hoping that the panel of judges would give heavy sentence in this case as to obtain those ivories, we are quite sure that the poacher had to kill the elephants," said Bayu Sandi, PROFAUNA Indonesia's campaign officer.