Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Forestry has disrupted an online trade network trafficking protected animal parts to the U.S. and arrested two suspects in Sukabumi, West Java.

Dwi Januanto Nugroho, the director general of forestry law enforcement at the ministry, said on Wednesday that wildlife trafficking is a transnational crime, ranking fourth globally after drugs, firearms, and human trafficking. Authorities, in cooperation with international agencies, uncovered the operation.

The suspects, identified BH and NJ, were caught on 18 March 2025 with 70 primate skulls, six hornbill beaks, two bear skulls, and other protected animal remains. The case surfaced after U.S. authorities intercepted a shipment linked to Indonesia.

The suspects admitted to conducting over 10 transactions in the U.S. and U.K. over a year. They face up to 15 years in prison and a Rp5 billion ($295,000) fine under Indonesia’s conservation law.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)