By: Annisa Ruzuar
Jakarta (7/21)-Two people involved in the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) illegal trade syndicate were arrested by the Pekanbaru Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Riau, on July 17. Yoga Rusdiansyah (26) and Hidayat Saldi (45) are currently under police investigation after evidence of six tiger heads, five skins and more than seven kilos of tiger bones were found. The proceeds of the illegal hunt were originally to be sent to Malaysia.
According to Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of Pekanbaru Police, AKP Sapta Marpaung, Yoga has been named as a suspect after being caught with the evidence, while Hidayat's status as a contact person is still being investigated. The evidence was sent from someone named Edi from Medan. Hidayat received news of the shipment and conveyed it to Yoga who served as a courier. The shipment was addressed to Gito, who was in charge of cleaning the game before being sent to Malaysia. Gito's whereabouts are currently unclear.
Based on the suspect's confession, this activity has been going on for three years and can reach five shipments in one month. The routes chosen are sea and land routes to get to Malaysia. When confirmed about this, the Head of Riau BKSDA, Trisnu Danisworo, said that land routes are more difficult to monitor than air routes. According to him, there is a possibility that the tiger did not come from Riau but North Sumatra considering the shipment came from Medan. Trisnu promised to coordinate this finding with the local BKSDA.
The opposite possibility was presented by WWF's Tiger Protection Unit and Animal Trade Monitoring Coordinator, Osmantri. He said that the poached animals could have come from Riau, because Medan is known as a shelter for poached animals in Sumatra. According to him, a syndicate of illegal traders has been formed with rare animal collectors in each province before being collected in Medan.
WWF Indonesia data shows that there were 192 Sumatran tigers in Riau in 2007. Based on research using camera and video traps, at least 30 Sumatran tigers have been identified in Riau, with populations spread across Tesso Nilo, Kerumutan, Rimbang Baling and the corridor between Rimbang Baling and Bukit Tigapuluh. Until now, the research is still continuing.
According to Syamsidar, communications officer of WWF-Indonesia in Riau, WWF data shows 46 tigers were killed between 1998-2009. "This is the number recorded. If it is true that the six tiger skulls that will be sold to Malaysia are tigers from Riau, of course this number will continue to grow. We are very sorry. Because Sumatran tigers are animals protected by law, all parties should be responsible. Be it the government, businessmen, and the public need awareness for the protection of tiger habitat,'' he continued.
Chairul Saleh, species and conservation expert of WWF-Indonesia added that the investigation should not stop here, "This case must be thoroughly investigated until the court, not only the courier should be arrested. Efforts must be made through this case to dismantle the protected wildlife trade network that is carried out across provinces and even across countries until the main perpetrators of this trade syndicate are punished severely." If convicted, the suspects will be sentenced to the maximum penalty.
If found guilty, the suspect could be charged with Articles 21 and 40 of Law No. 5 of 1990 on the Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Ecosystems. The maximum penalty for conviction is five years' imprisonment and a fine of 100 million rupiah. The illegal trade in tigers is a serious crime.
The illegal trade in tigers and their parts was one of the main issues discussed by thirteen tiger range countries in a series of high-level meetings held this year. A draft Declaration on Tiger Conservation was made by thirteen countries at the Pre Tiger Summit July 12-14, 2010 in Bali. The draft declaration proposes concrete steps to be taken by governments to curb illegal tiger trade. The Declaration will be agreed and signed at the World Heads of State Meeting on Tiger Conservation to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia in September this year.