Elephant Killing In Aceh Revealed, Perpetrators To Buyers In Bogor, Depok And Bekasi Arrested By Police

The elephant killer and the buyer were arrested by the Aceh police/ Antara

JAKARTA - The East Aceh Police, Aceh, has revealed the mastermind behind the killer of an elephant that died without a head in the PT Bumi Flora area, Banda Alam District.

The East Aceh Police Chief, AKBP Eko Widiantoro, said the perpetrator's brain had the initials JN (35). The perpetrator JN admitted that he had repeatedly hunted elephants, but only twice managed to kill the protected animal.

"JN (35) admits that he has hunted elephants five times by using poison since 2017. However, only two have succeeded in killing them, namely in East Aceh and Central Aceh," said Eko in East Aceh, reported by Antara, Thursday, 19 August.

Likewise, what JN did to an elephant found dead without a head in the oil palm plantation area of PT Bumi Flora, he said, JN assisted by his colleague with the initials IS poisoned the protected animal by cutting its neck to take its head.

JN poisoned the elephant with two kuweni which were poisoned. The fruit is thrown somewhere targeting a herd of wild elephants. After installing the bait JN and IS returned to their respective homes.

A few hours later, the two returned to the location throwing the poisonous fruit. They found an elephant lying on poison bait.

After the head was cut off, JN and IS took the elephant's body part to another place. Then, the two of them cut the elephant's tusk. After taking the tusk, the elephant's head was thrown into the river, he said. A few days later, IS contacted JN saying that there was a buyer for the ivory, namely EM, with a price of Rp. 10 million. The police arrested EM in Pidie Jaya Regency.

According to EM, the ivory was sold to SN for Rp. 24 million in Bogor, West Java. The ivory is sent via a parcel delivery service. The police arrested SN at her home, in Pasarean Village, Cibungbulang District, Bogor Regency, West Java.

"SN also admitted that he had traded with EM six times. Among them were four tusks, one tiger bone, and one tiger skin," he said.

From SN's inspection, he sold the ivory to JF. The police arrested JF at his home at the Kelapa Dua Defense and Security Complex, Cimanggis District, Depok Regency, West Java.

JF admitted that he bought the elephant tusk from SN for Rp. 24 million. Then, he sold the ivory to a craftsman with the initials RN in Bekasi, West Java.

"The East Aceh Police Team also arrested RN at her home, in Babelan District, Bekasi Regency, West Java. He bought the ivory for Rp. 30 million," he said.

From his confession to the police, RN said the elephant's tusks had been cut into pieces to make badik, cigarette pipes, rencong, and other accessories.

"The perpetrators along with the evidence have been secured at the East Aceh Police for further investigation. Meanwhile, the IS perpetrators are on the wanted list (DPO)," he said.