Illegal Wildlife Trade Persists in West Sumatra Amidst Protection Challenges

Illegal trade of rare and protected wildlife continues to be a major concern in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Authorities have seized 16 hornbill beaks and a sack of pangolin scales from a 23-year-old man identified as RP in Padang City. RP was attempting to sell these protected animal parts when apprehended. Hari Novianto, Head of the Sumatra Region Law Enforcement Center for Forestry (Gakkum), stated that the arrest stemmed from community information. His team analyzed the intelligence through cyber patrols to map the perpetrator's activities before launching a field operation, leading to the successful apprehension of the suspect and evidence around 8 PM on Monday (27/7/26). During the investigation, RP revealed that he obtained the hornbill beaks and approximately 10 kilograms of pangolin scales from Siberut Utara in the Mentawai Islands Regency, his place of domicile. He has been charged under Article 40A paragraph (1) letter f in conjunction with Article 21 paragraph (2) letter c of Law Number 32/2024 concerning the Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems. This law prohibits any person from storing, possessing, transporting, or trading parts of protected animals. "He faces a prison sentence of three to 15 years and a fine of Rp200 million to Rp5 billion. Details of the case are still under investigation," Novianto added. Eko Subrata, a bird researcher from Muhammadiyah University of West Sumatra (UMSB), suggested that the hornbills traded were likely White-crowned Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris), as it is the only hornbill species found in the Mentawai Islands. The trade network for pangolin scales is known to be highly secretive and difficult to penetrate. Information Source: Mongabay Indonesia