Ministry of Forestry Cyber Patrol Uncovers Elephant Ivory Trade in Bali
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The cyber patrol team of the Directorate General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Forestry has uncovered an elephant ivory trading network in Bali and detained one suspect.
In a statement confirmed from Jakarta on Wednesday, Aswin Bangun, Head of the Ministry of Forestry’s Law Enforcement Office for the Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Region, explained that the case was revealed when the cyber patrol team observed social media posts offering items suspected to be derived from protected wildlife. This led to an operation in Tampaksiring, Gianyar Regency, on 14-15 April 2026, conducted alongside the Bali Regional Police.
“Cases such as this require precision because the evidence is no longer in the form of intact animal body parts, but has been transformed into handicrafts. Investigators must ensure that the type of goods, the protection status of the species, the possession of the goods, and the elements of trade can be legally proven,” said Aswin.
He explained that from two art shop locations in Gianyar, the team seized several pieces of evidence including handicrafts, carvings, and parts suspected to be made from elephant ivory. Based on the examination results, investigators have named IKS as a suspect. Currently, the investigation file has been declared complete and will be forwarded to the Public Prosecutor.
The suspect, IKS, faces criminal charges under Law Number 32 of 2024, which amends Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning the Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and their Ecosystems. These provisions prohibit the storage, possession, transport, or trade of specimens, parts, or goods made from protected wildlife.
In the same statement, the Director General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Forestry, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, warned that the trade of elephant ivory and protected wildlife parts poses a serious threat to Indonesia’s biodiversity.
“As long as these items are viewed as collections, decorations, or goods with economic value, illegal hunting and trade will continue to have a market. Therefore, conservation law enforcement does not only involve processing cases, but also closing trade spaces and building public awareness that protected wildlife is not a commodity,” he explained.
In relation to this, he urged the public not to buy, store, or trade parts of protected wildlife and requested that citizens report any observed attempts at the illegal trade of protected species and their body parts.