The trial of two accused tiger skin traders was held at the Taluk Kuantan District Court, Kuantan Singingi Regency, Riau on Thursday (August 4). The trial was presided over by Chief Judge Wiwin Sulistia, accompanied by member judges Petra Jenny Siahaan and Manuel MP Sirait, with the agenda of hearing testimony from officers and expert witnesses.

The two defendants, Herman alias Man Bin Mausin and Adrizal Rakasiwi alias Adri, were charged with Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems by Riau Police investigators. Both were charged with article 21 paragraph (2) letter d, namely trading, storing or possessing the skin, body or other parts of protected animals or items made from these parts or removing them from a place in Indonesia to another place inside or outside Indonesia.

The public prosecutors, Adrianto Mulia Budiman and Siti Khadijah Susilowati, SH, asked the two defendants about the tiger skin that was the evidence brought to the trial. Both admitted that the tiger skin was taken by officers from their backyard.

Witness officer from the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Center, Somad also confirmed that the tiger skin was confiscated by joint team officers from the yard of one of the defendants, Herman.

The two defendants were arrested by a joint team of the Riau Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Riau BBKSDA and Jambi BKSDA at the home of the defendant Herman in Padusunan Village, Kuantan Mudik District. Kuantan Singingi on April 29, 2016. The team conducted a sting operation against the two after developing information received about the trade of Sumatran tiger skins. During the operation, law enforcement officers confiscated one piece of tiger skin complete with bones, a set of bear bones and skins and others.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation of Riau Police then investigated the case before it was handed over to the Taluk Kuantan district attorney in June 2016 for trial.

The second trial also presented an expert witness from BBKSDA Riau, Muslino, who confirmed that the evidence presented in the trial was a Sumatran tiger.

The first trial of this case was held on July 26, 2016 by presenting witnesses from the police. Police officer Mahlil Siregar, SH confirmed that one tiger skin that became evidence in the trial was taken by officers from the backyard of suspect Herman's house.

If found guilty, both will be subject to a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a fine of one hundred million rupiah. This is the first case of wildlife crime, in this case tiger skin trade, in Riau this year. It is hoped that the legal process will run smoothly and the perpetrators will receive the maximum punishment to provide a deterrent effect for wildlife criminals. In Riau alone, an average of 3-4 Sumatran tigers die due to poaching or conflict.