Riau Police Uncover Brutal Elephant-Hunting Syndicate: Elephant Shot and Head Decapitated with an Axe
The Riau Police (Polda Riau) have uncovered the brutality of a Sumatra elephant-hunting syndicate whose members were found dead without a head in the concession area of PT RAPP, Ukui District, Lubuk Kembang Bunga Village, Ukui Sub-district, Pelalawan Regency. The suspects shot the wild elephant to death and then cut off its head using an axe.
The killing of the elephant occurred on 25 January 2026 at around 15:00 Western Indonesian Time. Initially, suspect AN (wanted person) fired the elephant twice in the head.
“Then suspect RA together with AN (wanted) cut off part of the head using an axe and a knife owned by RA until 20:00 Western Indonesian Time,” said Director of Special Criminal Investigation (Reskrimsus) of the Riau Police, Kombes Ade Kuncoro, at a press conference at the Riau Police Headquarters, Pekanbaru, on Tuesday (3 February 2026).
They recovered the elephant tusks weighing around 7.6 kilograms. Around 21:00 Western Indonesian Time, suspect RA contacted FA, who acted as the financier, tusk dealer and owner of ammunition, requesting assistance to collect the elephant tusks.
“Suspect FA picked up the elephant tusks in the Pangkalan Lesung sub-district and gave RA Rp 30 million,” he added.
After the tusks were received, FA then cut them into four pieces in the back yard at the request of HY (74). HY is the tusk receiver and intermediary for the tusk transactions, who was arrested in Padang Panjang, West Sumatra on 19 February 2026.
Fifteen Suspects Charged
In this case, the Riau Police arrested 15 suspects. They were apprehended in a sequence of operations from 18–23 February 2026 at various locations including Pelalawan, Riau; Padang Panjang, West Sumatra; Jakarta, and Surabaya, East Java.
Eight suspects from the Riau–Sumatra network:
RA (31), role: cut the elephant’s head and owner of a homemade firearm, arrested in Lubuk Kembang Bunga village on 18 February 2026
JM (44), role: shooter, arrested in Lubuk Kembang Bunga village on 19 February 2026
SM (41), role: spotter and owner of a homemade firearm, arrested in Bagan Limau village on 19 February 2026
FA (62), role: financier, tusk dealer, owner of ammunition and tusk cutter, arrested in Simalinyang Village, Kampar Kiri Tengah District, on 19 February 2026
HY (74), role: tusk receiver and intermediary for tusk transactions, held in Padang Panjang, West Sumatra on 19 February 2026
AB (56), role: courier, arrested in Padang, West Sumatra on 19 February 2026
LK (43), role: weapon seller, arrested in Lirik Village, Lirik District, Indragiri Hulu Regency on 20 February 2026
SL (43), role: intermediary in tusk trade, arrested in Ukui Sub-district, Pelalawan on 20 February 2026
Seven suspects from outside the region:
AR (39), role: tusk transaction intermediary, arrested in Surabaya on 22 February 2026
AC (40), role: tusk transaction intermediary, arrested in Surabaya on 22 February 2026
FS (43), role: financier and tusk dealer, arrested in Surabaya on 22 February 2026
ME (49), role: tusk transaction intermediary, arrested in Jakarta on 22 February 2026
SA (39), role: tusk transaction intermediary, arrested in Kudus on 23 February 2026
JS (47), role: tusk trade intermediary and custodian of a cigarette pipe used for tusks, arrested in Solo on 23 February 2026
HA (42), role: tusk trade intermediary and custodian of a tusk pipe, arrested in Solo on 23 February 2026
In the meantime, the Riau Police have identified three additional suspects as Persons of Interest (DPO): AN, GL and RB. They acted as the shooter, head cutter and tusk dealer.
In this case, the suspects are charged under Article 40A(1)(d) and (f) of Law No. 32 of 2024 concerning amendments to Law No. 5 of 1990 on Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems, punished with a minimum prison term of 3 years and maximum 15 years and a minimum fine of Rp 200,000,000 and a maximum of Rp 5,000,000,000. The suspects are also charged under Article 306 of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code, with a maximum prison term of 15 years, and Article 21(1)(a) of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code, punished with 2/3 of the maximum main sentence.
From Upstream to downstream enforcement
The Riau Police arrested 15 suspects who acted as executors up to buyers of Sumatra elephant tusks. The upstream-to-downstream disclosure was a historic moment for the Riau Police.
“Praise be to God, this is the first time in the history of the Province of Riau that we have managed to uncover a case from upstream to downstream. There are 15 suspects (arrested), and 3 are still being searched for,” said the Riau Police Chief, Irjen Herry Heryawan, at a press conference at the Mapolda Riau, on Tuesday (3 March 2026).
The Police Chief said the killing of this Sumatran elephant was uncovered thanks to collaborative roles of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), Police, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Environment, the Riau Provincial Government, Kodam XIX/Tuanku Tambusai, the Riau High Prosecutor’s Office, the TNTN (Tesso Nilo National Park) and the management of the PT RAPP concession area.
Irjen Herry Heryawan emphasised that the death of a Sumatran elephant is not merely a criminal incident. The death of a single elephant wounds all parties.
He explained the importance of an elephant as a balancer of the natural world and its ecosystem. When three elephants are killed, other parts of the ecosystem are also threatened with extinction.
“An elephant is not merely a wild animal; it is a guardian of ecosystem balance, a symbol of the natural order. When it is killed for short-term economic gain, it is not just one animal that is harmed but the entire life chain,” he said.
Ministerial Praise
Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni expressed appreciation to the Police Chief Sigit and the Riau Police Chief Irjen Pol Herry Heryawan for the breakthrough in this case.
“I would like to offer my deepest thanks to the Police Chief and to the Riau Police Chief, and to all ranks. It is very clear that the police under the leadership of the Police Chief, Mr Sigit, is increasingly professional and protecting and serving as such a case rare,” Raja Juli said.
Raja Juli expressed appreciation for