A total of 14 people from two hunting groups were revealed to have killed 26 Javan rhinos in Ujung Kulon National Park.
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By
PRADIPTA PANDU
13 June 2024 16:06 WIB·5 minutes readTEKS
A joint team from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry together with the Banten Regional Police arrested five hunters of Javanese rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) who had been on the wanted list or DPO. This operation to suppress wildlife poaching in Ujung Kulon National Park is a follow-up operation in 2023.
The arrest of five Javan rhinoceros hunters was revealed at a press conference in Serang, Banten on Tuesday (11/6/2024). The five wanted individuals were apprehended in Kampung Ciakar, Rancapinang Village, Pandeglang Regency, Banten, along with evidence in the form of long-barreled guns and ammunition.
The five fugitives who were successfully apprehended are AT, SAH, LEL, SAY, and IS. All of them are residents of Ciakar Village, Pandeglang. The DPOs are part of a syndicate network that hunts wild animals using homemade firearms.
A total of 14 people consisting of two groups killed 26 Javan rhinos.
Initially, the joint operation on May 7-16, 2024 successfully captured AT. The news of AT’s arrest then led four other DPOs to surrender, namely SAH, LEL, SAY, and IS.
In addition, there are still 8 wanted individuals who have not been apprehended with the names SK, SH, ICUT, RAH, KR, NH, and WD. They are still being pursued to this day.
Previously, in 2023, a person convicted in the same case named Sunendi was sentenced to 12 years in prison and a fine of IDR 100 million by a judge at the Pandeglang District Court. He was sentenced to multiple crimes (multidoor) for possession of firearms, theft of camera traps (trap), and poaching wild animals.
The deepening of the case based on Sunendi’s testimony and the other five suspects shows that the Javan rhinoceros hunters in Ujung Kulon National Park are divided into two groups. The first group is led by Sunendi with a total of 10 members. Meanwhile, the second group is led by a fugitive with the initials RAH and has a total of 4 members.
Banten Regional Police Chief Inspector General Abdul Karim said that the Banten Regional Police had named a total of 14 suspects as perpetrators of Javan rhino poaching in Ujung Kulon National Park. A total of 14 people consisting of two groups killed 26 Javan rhinos.
In detail, the first group had hunted and killed 22 Javan rhinos. This group consists of two suspects who have been arrested, namely SN and AD. Meanwhile, four others are still at large, namely NR, IC, HR and SH.
Then, the second group with suspects SR, LL, and SY killed 4 Javan rhinos. This group has four members who are included in the DPO and are still in the pursuit stage, namely KR, RH, IN, and WD.
Capture process
Abdul Karim explained that his team had received a report regarding the hunting of rhinos from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Letter No. 176 on May 29, 2023, and Police Report No. 128. Based on the reports, the Banten Regional Police formed a joint task force called the Ujung Kulon National Park Operation Task Force, consisting of 116 personnel.
On November 26 2023, the team succeeded in arresting a DPO with the initials N as a hunter or shooter with evidence in the form of two weapons and ammunition and two handy talkie (HT) units. Then on March 17 2024, the team arrested YG who was acting as a seller with evidence in the form of a ponawl and a transfer slip proving the sale of rhino horn.
Afterwards, on April 23rd, 2024, the joint team succeeded in capturing one person with the initial WL. He acted as a receiver who bought the results of the hunt with evidence of a transfer of the purchase of rhinoceros horn worth Rp 500 million.
The evidence successfully seized from five wanted individuals in 2024 includes three homemade firearms, 15 lead bullets, gunpowder, steel sling traps, and other equipment. Meanwhile, the evidence seized in 2023 was long and short firearms, active bullets, as well as several protected wildlife parts, including the Javan rhinoceros.
Director General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Rasio Ridho Sani, stated that the environmental investigator has been ordered to coordinate with the Banten Regional Police in the development of handling this case, especially in finding eight other fugitive perpetrators and the investors involved.
Also read: Intensive Javan Rhino Conservation Strategy Urgently Implemented
He ensured that law enforcement efforts against perpetrators of environmental crimes, including poaching and illegal wildlife trade, would continue. Multidoor law enforcement efforts are also continuing to ensure maximum punishment and provide a deterrent effect for the perpetrators and all parties involved.
Since 2015 until now, the Directorate General of Gakkum KLHK has carried out 504 operations handling wild plants and animals, 862 encroachment operations, and 767 illegal logging operations. Then, a total of 1,533 cases have entered the P21 stage, 305 have been facilitated by law enforcement officials, 21 cases of civil lawsuits have been inkracht, and 6 cases are in the civil trial process.
Threats in TNUK
The findings in this report are based on information gathered from various sources from September 2022 to March 2023, as well as direct observations on location. Auriga Nusantara also obtained detection camera footage in Ujung Kulon National Park to strengthen the analysis of the disappearance of Javan rhinoceroses.
Director General Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Satyawan Pudyatmoko, said that the Ministry of Environment and Forestry is still conducting an analysis regarding the number of Javan rhinos that have died due to poaching. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry also still needs clarification from the Banten Regional Police regarding the time period for hunting Javan rhinos from these perpetrators.
Also read: 15 Javan Rhinos in Ujung Kulon Disappeared Unnoticed
According to Satyawan, the ecology of the Javan rhinoceros is still not well-known. Meanwhile, to ensure the survival of the remaining Javan rhinoceros population, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has installed more and evenly distributed camera traps at every point.
“In situ rhino conservation is of course done by protecting the habitat and population. The Minister of Environment and Forestry has given directions to build a sanctuary in Ujung Kulon to develop safer rhinos. “In the future, more modern conservation efforts can be carried out with artificial insemination,” he said.
Exposing the Big Game 