Indonesia: Man arrested for trying to smuggle elephant tusks from Malaysia

Dyaning Pangestika The Jakarta Post 12 Jul 19;

The authorities in Nunukan, North Kalimantan, have arrested a 54-year-old man for allegedly trying to smuggle 10 elephant tusks from Malaysia.

Investigators from the Kalimantan Law Enforcement Center (Gakkum) foiled the smuggling attempt after receiving a tip-off from the Nunukan Customs and Excise Office on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified only as DP, entered Indonesia through Tunontaka Nunukan Port.

A travel agent, identified only as H, 40, was asked to take care of the suspect’s belongings and hand them over to the customs and excise office.

During the inspection, the officers found 10 ivory pieces.

“The suspect has been detained at Nunukan Police headquarters. The law enforcement center has also secured the evidence, comprising 10 pieces of elephant ivory and a blue container drum,” said the commander of Enggang Brigade from Kalimantan Gakkum, Lili Kardiansyah in a written statement received by The Jakarta Post on Friday.

According to Lili, the suspect is charged under Article 40 and Article 21 of the 1990 law on natural resources and ecosystem. If proven guilty, he will face a maximum of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rp 100 million (US$7,103).


Indonesia seizes 10 'dowry' elephant tusks smuggled in from Sabah
muguntan vanar The Star 13 Jul 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Indonesian Customs officials have seized 10 elephant tusks that were being smuggled by an estate worker into Kalimantan.

The 54-year-old Indonesian labourer was arrested by the Indonesian authorities when they spotted the tusks inside a plastic barrel upon scanning it with an X-ray machine on Tuesday (July 9), according to a news report from Kalimantan.

The report stated that the suspect, who had been working for the last 32 years in Sabah's Lahad Datu district, was detained shortly upon arrival by ferry at Nunukan from Tawau.

The news report, quoting a Nunukan official Subhan, said the suspect told them he was taking the tusks back to his home village in Nusa Tenggra Timur province to be used as dowry.

"The ivory is not for sale (or trafficking) but was mainly as dowry purposes in a marriage.

"However, it is illegal under the law even if it is being used for customary purposes and not trafficking," the office was quoted by the media as saying.

The officials also arrested a 40-year-old travel agent who helped the suspect to bring in the elephant tusks. The agent was not being treated as a suspect but a witness in the case.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said they were in communication with Indonesian officials in Kalimantan but declined to comment further.



Sabah hopes to get more info from Indonesia on smuggled jumbo tusks
The Star 14 Jul 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is hoping to get more details from its Indonesian counterparts on how an estate worker managed to buy 10 elephant tusks in Lahad Datu and smuggled them out of the state.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said they were hoping that Indonesian investigators would share any information that could lead to tracking down the suspects selling the ivory tusks in Sabah.

“We would like to get more information (on how the suspect bought it).

“If the Indonesian side is willing to share more information from their investigation.

Tuuga was commenting on the arrests of a 54-year-old Indonesian estate worker who was caught by Indonesian Customs officials in Nunukan (Kalimantan) while trying to smuggle back to his hometown 10 elephant tusks to used as part of their customary dowry payments in marriages.

The Timorese suspect was arrested after Customs officials spotted the tusks during a mandatory x-ray scan at the port shortly after he arrived on a passenger ferry from Sabah’s Tawau on July 9.

The man, who claimed to be working in Sabah’s Lahad Datu for the past 32 years, is being detained for smuggling ivory tusk that is banned worldwide.

The suspect told Indonesia officials that he paid RM9,400 for the tusks.

“The ivory is not for sale (or trafficking) but was mainly bought for dowry purposes in a marriage.

“It is illegal under law even if it is being used for customary purposes and not trafficking,” the officer was quoted by the Indonesian media as saying.

Tuuga said looking that looking at the pictures of the tusks, he believed that it was not from a fresh incident of elephants killed in Sabah’s east coast.

“The tusks looked old. Most likely they were buried in the soil to prevent officers from seizing them.

“As a result, they turned yellow,” he said.