Kemenhut Names 3 Suspects in the Case of the Wild Animal Hunters in the Komodo National Park

Joint officers from the Ministry of Finance and the National Police conducted a dive to secure evidence on a vessel belonging to an illegal hunting perpetrator in the Komodo National Park area, Sunday (14/12/2025). ANTARA/HO-Kemenhut

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) said that three people involved in illegal hunting in the Komodo National Park (TN) were officially named suspects after a shootout occurred when a joint team thwarted their hunting action.

"The action against illegal hunting is the commitment of the Minister of Forestry Raja Juli and Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki to protect the diversity of life in conservation areas. We not only take firm action against perpetrators, but also continue to uncover networks involved in this illegal practice, including the circulation of assembled weapons and ammunition used in illegal hunting," said Director General of Law Enforcement (Gakkum) Kemenhut Dwi Januanto Nugroho in a statement confirmed from Jakarta, Friday, quoted by Antara.

The determination was made after a joint law enforcement operation by the Joint Team of the Bali Nusa Tenggara Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, Komodo National Park Office, Korpolairud Baharkam National Police Headquarters, NTT Regional Maritime Police Directorate, and West Manggarai Police successfully securing three perpetrators of illegal hunting on Sunday (14/12).

The joint team managed to thwart the efforts of a group of poachers who were suspected of often hunting protected animals, especially deer, in the Komodo National Park area. When ambushed, the group of hunters tried to escape with a wooden boat, and after verbal warnings and warning shots were ignored, contact was made.

The chase lasted until the joint team managed to secure three people who have now been named as suspects on behalf of AB, AD, and Y.

The perpetrators are threatened with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp. 5 billion. For suspected possession of firearms, the perpetrators are also threatened with the death penalty or life imprisonment or a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

In an effort to uncover it, the Joint Team dived to the scene on Sunday, December 14 and managed to find and secure additional evidence, including 10 bullet casings, eight active bullets with a caliber of 5.56 mm, one deer, and one fully assembled firearm with a magazine still attached.

Other evidence in the form of knives, head flashlights, smartphones, and wooden boats was also secured for further investigation.

Furthermore, said Dwi Januanto, the Ministry of Manpower is committed to unraveling the root causes of the still recurring illegal hunting in the Komodo National Park area.

In addition to taking legal action, the Ministry of Finance will delve deeper into the factors that encourage the public, especially those living around the area, to hunt deer. A cultural anthropology-based approach and community economic development will be carried out to find sustainable solutions.

"This problem of illegal hunting cannot be solved only by enforcement. We also need to involve the community in efforts to preserve wildlife and ecosystems in the Komodo National Park. Therefore, research on hunting habits and the development of alternative economies for the surrounding community is part of our efforts to create a balance between wildlife protection and improving community welfare," said Dwi Januanto Nugroho.