Jakarta Raid Reveals Wildlife Crime Syndicates

(ProFauna Indonesia, 27th February 2009) The confiscation of the body parts of Sumatran tigers, leopards, bears, and Sumatran elephants from Jatinegara market, Jakarta, Indonesia (Thursday, 12 February 2009) led to another wildlife dealer in the capital city of the country, AZ. ProFauna, as a wildlife protection organization in Indonesia, joined the Jakarta Wildlife Alliance (Forum Satwa Liar Jakarta) consisting of other wildlife organizations: LASA (the Wildlife Advocacy Institute) which is also ProFauna's member society, Wildlife Conservation Society, Jakarta Animal Aid Network, and International Animal Rescue; to urge and facilitate the authorities to conduct the operation.

In a country where wildlife crime is not taken seriously, ProFauna and the alliance keep advocating the law enforcement by assisting the government officers from planning the raid, executing the operation, identifying evidences, to judicial process where the organizations demand the perpetrators be punished to the full extent of law. Most wildlife crimes in the country end up by mere evidence confiscation.

With the support of the NGO alliance, the revealing of another big wildlife dealer, the police and the rangers should be applauded for the great works. Since the case happened in Jakarta where the country governance is centralized and all national televisions and media are based, the law enforcement in Jatinegara market can inspire other regional government authorities in the country to implement the wildlife act and at the same can cause deterrent effect to the illegal wildlife crime in the whole country.

According the 1990 wildlife act, to keep, own, transport, and trade live or by-products protected animals including skins, feet, nails, skulls, tails, teeth of the spotted leopard (Panthera pardus), Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) and bear (Helarctor malayanus), as well as a stuffed spotted leopard and several ivory products is prohibited and the violators are liable to a maximum five-year imprisonment or a maximum of 100 million IDR (10,000 USD) fine.

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ProFauna Indonesia is an Indonesian society for the protection of
wild animals and their habitats