Chase the Gang of Hunting Wild Elephants, the Riau Police Name 15 Suspects, 3 Still at Large

JAKARTA - The police have named 15 suspects in a syndicate of hunting wild elephants that were found dead with their heads cut off in Pelalawan Regency, Riau.

Head of the Riau Police Inspector General of Police Herry Heryawan said that out of the dozens of suspects, 3 of them are still fugitives who play a role from executors to intermediaries.

"There are 15 suspects and three are still being pursued," he said at a press conference in Pekanbaru, Tuesday, quoted by Antara.

Herry said that his party collaborated on the disclosure by hunting down the suspects from the crime scene in Ukui District, Pelalawan, to Padang, West Sumatra, Jakarta, Surabaya (East Java), Solo and Kudus (Central Java).

"The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate has dismantled the network and pursued the suspects to Padang, Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang, Solo. All the series were revealed since the crime scene and autopsy," he continued.

The police have also examined 40 witnesses and intelligence analysis. Until finally yielding results on the disclosure of extraordinary crimes that will be prosecuted to the highest level.

Director of Reskrimsus of the Riau Police, Police Commissioner General Ade Kuncoro, said that his party had secured dozens of suspects ranging from executors to intermediaries or mediators. First, RA (31) as an executor cut off the elephant's head after being shot.

"We secured it on February 18 in Ukui. We developed and arrested JM (44) who played the role of the shooter, arrested on February 19, 2026. Then SM was arrested in Bagan Limau on February 19," he said.

Furthermore, the arrest was made against FA (62) who was a reoffender for elephant hunting for the 2015 crime scene in Jambi Pelalawan and Bengkalis.

His role is quite significant, namely as a dealer in ivory and as a supplier of ammunition for hunting guns, logistics and people who teach perpetrators to become hunters of wild elephants.

The arrest continued on AY who was a ivory dealer in Padang Panjang, West Sumatra, on February 19. The ivory was sent via Minangkabau International Airport to Jakarta and was received by NK who was also a gun seller.

"Another suspect, SL, is an intermediary in the sale and purchase of firearms. Then an expansion was made to Jakarta against the AR intermediaries in Surabaya who were arrested on February 22. Then AC in Surabaya was an intermediary in the ivory transaction to FS the boss and financier of elephant ivory and from FS 140 kilograms of pangolin scales were also confiscated," he said.

The investigation returned to Jakarta which led to SA (39) in Kudus, who was arrested on February 23, 2026. Development was made to Solo with JS and HA acting as intermediaries for ivory transactions and cigarette pipe smugglers.

"AN and GL at the same time teach people to shoot and RG the ivory intermediary is still being hunted," he said.