Riau Police Nab Ivory Hunters
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Rabu, 11 Februari 2015 11:56 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Pekanbaru – Riau Police investigators have recently nabbed eight ivory hunters, seizing as evidence two two-meter-long elephant tusks, Mosser rifles, six 7.62 mm bullets, and three bladed weapons.
“The suspects were arrested on suspicion of illegal hunting,” Riau Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Guntur Aryo Tedjo said on Tuesday night, February 10, 2015.
Guntur said Riau Police detectives arrested the suspects near Leighton II Bridge at around 5:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The eight are identified by their initials only as FA (50), HA (40), R (37), MU (52), S (30), R (30), I (25), AS (50).
Guntur added the suspects had admitted to hunting elephants in the acacia forest in Mandau district, Bengkalis, with FA being the mastermind while the rest were hirelings. The suspects said they planned to sell the ivories at the international black market at Rp10 million per kg.
The suspects are charged with Article 21, letter D, Law No. 5 Year 1990 on Natural Resources Conservation with a penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rp200 million.
RIYAN NOFITRA