Riau Police shoot dead three elephant poachers

Riau Police shoot dead three elephant poachers

Indonesian police said on Friday they had shot dead three elephant poachers who resisted arrested after they were caught in a protected forest reserve on Sumatra island.

"Acting on reports from residents, a police team was sent to the Mahoto protected forest on Tuesday and they found four poachers on the following day," said Second Sergeant Arnoldi from the Riau province town of Pasir Pengaraian.

Police raided a hut in which the four were based, but they resisted arrest and three of them were shot dead in an ensuing struggle, Arnoldi told AFP.

The other poacher was mobbed by villagers who had come with the police, but was rescued and was not in a critical condition, he said.

Two of the policemen were wounded by machete in the tussle, he said. Elephant tusks were found in the hut but Arnoldi could not say how many.

Jungle-clad Sumatra is the only island in Indonesia where wild elephants can still be found. Around 4,000 of the protected species is estimated to live there. -- AFP