Sumatran Elephant Poaching Syndicate Nabbed by Police, 15 Suspects Detained

Police in Pekanbaru, Riau, displayed evidence consisting of bones and tusks of the Sumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) as they unveiled a case involving a network involved in hunting Sumatra elephants. The Riau Police (Polda Riau) arrested 15 suspects linked to the elephant poaching syndicate, with three others still being sought (DPO). They also seized tusks and skeletal remains of the Sumatran Elephant as evidence. Present at the briefing were Minister of Environment and Forestry Raja Juli Antoni, flanked by Acting Governor of Riau SF Hariyanto, Head of Public Relations Division of the Indonesian Police Irjen Pol Johnny Isir, Senior Investigator of Bareskrim Irjen Pol Zulkarnaen, and Riau Police Chief Irjen Pol Hery Heryawan. The police reported that the operation resulted in the seizure of gading and tulang belulang Gajah Sumatra.