The defendant for the trade in tiger skin was sentenced to one year in prison.

The trial of the tiger skin trade case at the Kutacane PN, South Aceh Regency, Tuesday (23/6/2026). ANTARA/HO-Marwan

BANDA ACEH - The Kutacane District Court (PN) panel of judges in South Aceh Regency sentenced the defendant in the tiger skin trafficking case, Suburdin, to one year in prison.

The verdict was read by a panel of judges headed by Sanjaya Sembiring with members Sastro Gunawan and Dolli Hartama in a trial at the Kutacane PN.

The defendant Suburdin was present in the trial accompanied by his legal advisor. The trial was also attended by the Public Prosecutor (JPU) Shidqi Noer Salsa from the South East Aceh District Attorney's Office.

Reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, June 23, in addition to imprisonment, the panel of judges sentenced the defendant to pay a fine of Rp. 10 million. If the fine is not paid, it will be replaced with imprisonment for 30 days.

The panel of judges stated that the defendant was found guilty of violating Article 40A in conjunction with Article 40C of Law Number 32 of 2024 concerning Amendments to Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning the Conservation of Natural Living Resources and Ecosystems in conjunction with applicable criminal provisions.

Based on the facts of the trial and the testimony of witnesses, the panel of judges assessed that the defendant was involved in hunting to the plan to trade in the skin and parts of the body of the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), which is a protected animal.

During the trial, it was revealed that a female Sumatran tiger aged around three to four years was found dead entangled in the defendant's garden in Makmur Jaya Village, East Aceh Regency, in July 2024.

The defendant did not report the findings to the authorities. He then skinned the tiger carcass and kept the skin and a number of other body parts.

Some time later, the defendant received information that there were parties who were willing to buy the tiger skin for Rp80 million.

The plan for the sale was then agreed upon with the distribution of profits to a number of parties involved. The transaction is said to have taken place at the defendant's father's house in Makmur Jaya Village on July 16, 2025.

However, during the negotiation process between the seller and the prospective buyer known as Ahok, officers from the Aceh Police Special Criminal Investigation Directorate raided the location.

Knowing the arrival of the officers, a number of people who were in the house fled so that they could not be secured.

The police only found one sack containing tiger skin and bones in the kitchen of the house.

The evidence was then known to be related to the defendant. Suburdin was finally arrested at a pondok in Lueng Luweng Ketuben Village, Kuala Pesisir District, Nagan Raya Regency, on October 3, 2025.

On the basis of this decision, the public prosecutor said he was thinking about it. The panel of judges gave the public prosecutor seven days to decide whether to accept the decision or file an appeal.

The verdict was lighter than the public prosecutor's demand. In the previous trial, the prosecutor demanded the defendant a prison sentence of one year and six months.

In addition, the prosecutor also demanded that the defendant pay a fine of Rp. 40 million with a 60-day imprisonment.