Indonesian authorities on Saturday (December 7th) arrested five suspected tiger hunters in Riau on the island of Sumatra.

Officers confiscated four tiger fetuses and one adult tiger skin, according to officials.

The arrests were the result of an in-depth investigation related to information on poaching of Sumatran tigers in the Pelalawan Regency, Riau, officials said.

The suspects could face five years in prison and a fine of 100-million Indonesian rupiah (7,145 US dollars).

The Sumatran tiger is listed as "critically endangered" with only around 600 individuals living in the wild.

The Department of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) of the Sumatra region along with the police arrested five Sumatran tiger hunters (Panthera tigris sumatrae) in Riau, Saturday (7/12).

Head of the Sumatra Regional Law Enforcement Center Eduward Hutapea in Pekanbaru said from the arrests carried out on Saturday morning, the combined officers confiscated four tiger fetuses and adult tiger skin organs.

"There are four tiger fetuses stored in jars and one adult tiger skin," said Eduward.
Eduward explained the arrest was the result of an in-depth investigation related to information on poaching of Sumatran tigers in the Pelalawan Regency, Riau. The information obtained from the community was then followed up by KLHK who synergized with the National Police through information gathering and mapping.
As a result, on Saturday at 06.00 WIB, officers moved to Teluk Binjai Village, Teluk Meranti District, Pelalawan Regency. At that location, officers arrested three suspects MY, SS and E (MY wife).

"Four baby fetuses were found from the three perpetrators," he said.

From the arrest of the three perpetrators, the officers returned to development. As a result, two other perpetrators successfully arrested. The last two actors are SS and TS. Both were arrested on Jalan Lintas Timur, Pelalawan.

"Then from the two perpetrators were seized an adult tiger skin," he said.
Eduward explained that the officers had not yet provided detailed information on how the hunting was carried out by the perpetrators and their modus operandi. The perpetrators and the evidence themselves are currently still in Pelalawan and are heading to the Balai Gakkum KSDA Riau Office.

Eduward said that his party would provide detailed information related to the disclosure.

The perpetrators are threatened with Article 40 Paragraph 2 Jo. Article 21 Paragraph 2 Letter d of Law No. 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Resources and their Ecosystems with the maximum sentence of imprisonment of 5 years and a fine of Rp100 million.