PROFAUNA’s Note on Indonesian Wildlife Crime, First Half of 2014

Illegal wildlife trade rate in Indonesia is still high, as can be referred from the wildlife crime record between January-June 2014. Protection of Forest and Fauna (PROFAUNA) Indonesia notes that in the span of 6 months, there were at least 22 cases of wildlife trade and poaching uncovered by the law enforcement  bodies.

During that 6 months, the law enforcement bodies confiscated thousands wildlife victims from the suspects. Among the confiscated wild animals and their products are the orangutan, slow loris, javan langur, siamang, pangolin, green sea turtle, palm cockatoo, stuffed sumatran tiger, and ivory. The protected species were rescued from dealers, poachers, and dealers from different cities like Jakarta, Tangerang, Denpasar, Aceh, Jember, Lampung, and Palangkaraya.

The illegal commodities were about to be sold in Indonesia, as well as smuggled to other countries such as Kuwait, France, and China.

The disclosed cases prove that wildlife crime is still rampant in Indonesia. "It could be assumed that the real number of wildlife crime cases are much higher than what the police have uncovered," said Swasti prawidya Mukti, the campaign officer of PROFAUNA.

 "PROFAUNA really appreciates the law enforcement efforts from the officers, who have confiscated and rescues the traded wild animals. However, we are sorry to know that that most of the convicts  given minor punishment," added Swasti.

Among the cases of wildlife poaching, trade, and smuggling attempts uncovered by law officers are below:

• 7 January 2014, officers confiscated stuffed sumatran tiger, leopard cat, clouded leopard, sunbear head, mountain goat, bear teeth, golden cat, deer, and sumatran serow from two suspects named Maskur bin M Amin and Muri Murtiyanto in Aceh

• 17 January 2014, custom officers at Soekarno-hatta International airport thwarted a smuggling attempts of 2.968 pig-nosed turtle which were about to be sent by cargo using Garuda Airlines. The suspect was unidentified because the turtles were send from a travel agent in Jayapura, Papua.

• 22 January 2014, officers rescued 90 pangolins from a dealer named Yunedi in Palangkaraya, Central Borneo. The pangolins were going to be smuggled to East Java, China, and Taiwan.

• 23 January 2014, the police confiscated 1 dried hide of sumatran tiger (90 cm long), 2 large-sized deer heads, 1 muntjak deer antler, 1 pangolin, and a feather of Argus pheasant from a poacher named Nazar, who lived in Mukomuko.

• 30 January 2014, officers rescued 3.300 songbirds which were about to be smuggled to Java by a dealer in Lampung. The suspect was not arrested because the birds are not listed as protected species.

• 3 February 2014, 2 military officers brought 2 Australian parrots on their return from picking up a donated airplane from the Australian government. The officers were not arrested, but they got an administrative penalty.

• 14 February 2014, 8 reticulated phytons were rescued on being smuggled on a bus in Merak port.

• 19 February 2014, the rangers of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park confiscated 5 muntjak deer antlers, 3 deer antlers, 2 deer skulls, 1 muntjak deer skull, and 1 pig skull from a poacher.

• 24 february 2014, at least 7 ivory-less dead elephants were found in Tesso Nilo National Park, Riau.

• 8 March 2014, the Police of Denpasar confiscated 17 green sea turtles from a car driven by I Wayan Sukarta (33) in Jl. Pudak Sari gang II, Lingkungan Kelan Tuban, Kuta, Badung.

• 10 March 2014, 73 kilograms of pangolin scales was saved from a smuggling attempt in H. Asan Airport, Sampit. The destination of the scales was Jakarta.

• 1 April 2014, police officers confiscated 2 sea turtles and 2 tons of manta rays from 8 vessels in South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi.

• 4 April 2014, police officers confiscated 13 protected wildlife species from a dealer named Maulana (a.k.a Jalu Cakra) in Jember. Among the animals were the javan langur, kestrel, javan hawk-eagle, and giant squirrel.

• 11 April 2014, officers confiscated hundreds of illegal wildlife products from Golden Shop in North Jakarta. Among the products were 1 carved ivory, 1 ivory dragon, 4 ivory smoking-pipes, 2 ivory bracelets, 2 sunbear canines, 1 ivory pendant, 6 sunbear claws, 7 tiger canines, 8 small sunbear claws, 7 tiger canine pendants, 6 sunbear claw pendants, 8 crocodile canine pendants, 27 sea turtle shell hairpin, 13 sea turtle shell knives, 56 sea turtle shell earrings, 17 sea turtle shell pendants, 8 sea turtle shell bracelets, 27 sea turtle shell jewellery boxes, 3 birds of paradise, and 2 whale shark fins.

• 19 April 2014, 2 golden cats, 1 ungko, and 1 siamang were rescued from a dealer named Dede Setiawan in Medan, North Sumatra.

• 28 April 2014, officers confiscated 2 kuskus, 3 yellow-crested cockatoos, and 4 parrots from KM Labobar vessel in Sorong, Papua.

• 1 May 2014, officers seized a javan langur poacher in Muaragembong.

• 26 may 2014, the police confiscated 35 pangolins in an operation held in Jalan raya Taluk, Singingi district, Riau, from a man named Muhibin (44).

• 2 June 2014, officers in Lampung rescued 21 pangolins which were about to be smuggled to Palembang.

• 4 June 2014, police officers confiscated 1 ivory and 650 kilograms of elephant bones from a dealer named Dedi Julian in Aceh.

• 5 June 2014, a smuggling attempt of hundred of animals by two citizens of Kuwait was averted by the quarantine officers of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Among the animals were 1 orangutan, 4 siamangs (2 of them were dead), 3 javan gibbons, 3 palm cockatoos (1 dead), 1 slow loris, 97 reticulated phyton (5 dead), and 2 greater green leafbirds.

• 9 June 2014, another smuggling attempt failed to get through the security officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. A citizen of Germany named Dieter Puschmann planned to smuggle 9 birds of paradise, 7  sicklebill birds, and 8 rufous babblers.

For further information, please contact:

Swasti Prawidya Mukti, Campaign Officer

PROFAUNA Indonesia

Email: asti@profauna.net