Riau Police Names 15 Suspects in the Cross-Province Hunting of Sumatran Elephants

The Riau Police released a case of cross-provincial elephant hunting in Sumatra.

JAKARTA - The Riau Police have named 15 people as suspects in the case of hunting Sumatran elephants found dead in a gruesome manner in Block C99 of the PT RAPP concession area, Lubuk Kembang Bunga Village, Ukui District, Pelalawan Regency on February 2.

"The country confirms its commitment to be present, take action, and protect Indonesia's biodiversity from illegal practices that damage the future," said the Head of Public Relations of the National Police, Inspector General Johnny Isir, at a press conference at the Riau Police Headquarters, Tuesday, March 3.

In addition to naming dozens of people as suspects, three other people are also on the wanted list (DPO). This case, Johnny said, began with the discovery of a dead elephant in a state of decomposition with a separate head and missing tusks.

From the results of the necropsy by the veterinarian of the Riau BBKSDA, copper fragments were found in the skull so that the allegation that the elephant was shot was stronger.

"After the elephant carcass was found on February 2, 2026, the joint team immediately conducted an investigation at the crime scene. On February 4, a necropsy was conducted by the veterinarian of the Riau Region BBKSDA and fragments of copper were found in the skull, which confirmed the death due to gunshot wounds," he said.

Johnny explained that the investigation into the death of the elephant used the Scientific Crime Investigation method with the support of ballistic analysis, digital forensics, GPS collars, and network mapping.

"This is not a normal handling. We ensure that the construction of the case is legally strong and based on scientific evidence," he said.

Adding, the Riau Police Chief Inspector General Herry Heryawan stated that the case of hunting Sumatran wild elephants was organized. He said that from 2024 to 2026 there were nine elephant hunting incident locations in the Ukui area and its surroundings.

"Sumatran elephants are not just wildlife. They are the guardians of the ecosystem. When they are killed for short-term economic gains, what is damaged is not just one individual, but the balance of nature," said Herry.

The Riau Police released a case of cross-provincial elephant hunting in Sumatra.

Meanwhile, the Director of Special Criminal Investigation of the Riau Police, Kombes Ade Kuncoro, stated that the shooting of the wild elephant occurred on January 25. The ivory weighing about 7.6 kilograms was sold for Rp30 million, then cut and distributed to West Sumatra, Jakarta, Surabaya, Kudus, and Sukoharjo with a transaction value increasing to Rp125,235,000.

In this disclosure, investigators seized two homemade firearms, 798 rounds of ammunition, 63 ivory cigarette pipes, 140 kilograms of pangolin scales, 12 tiger fangs, as well as a number of hunting equipment and shipping documents.

As a result of their actions, dozens of these suspects were charged with Article 40A paragraph (1) letters d and f of Law Number 32 of 2024 concerning Amendments to Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning KSDAE with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to IDR 5 billion.

In response to this disclosure, Minister of Forestry (Menhut) Raja Juli Antoni expressed his condolences for the death of the Sumatran wild elephant. "This brutal and illegal practice is very unfortunate still happening," he said.

Raja Juli Antoni further appreciated the work between the police, forest police to the Riau KSDA Office. He reminded that this incident should never happen again.

"If we read the forestry law and the provisions in the Criminal Code, the punishment can be up to 15 years in prison. This must be a stern warning so that no one else plays with the existence of our wildlife."