Two traders arrested for selling endangered Sumatran tiger parts including a whole skin, a stuffed head, and stuffed paws

Arrests were made by West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of the Ministry of Forestry and the Indonesian Police (Lampung office), with technical assistance from WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit

Traders face maximum of 5 years prison and a fine of USD $10,000

NEW YORK (October 30, 2014) — The West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of the Ministry of Forestry, the Indonesian Police (Lampung office), and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wildlife Crimes Unit announced today enforcement action against two wildlife traffickers trading tiger parts online.

The operation involved a shipment of one whole tiger skin, two stuffed tiger paws, one stuffed tiger head, and a tiger claw. The first arrested trader, Wdy allegedly trades tiger parts trader for purported mystical purposes and advertises his products through social media. The second trader, Smr is an alleged online trader of tiger skin, stuffed tiger, bear, and lion for home decoration. He offered the stuffed tiger for USD $5,000-7,000.

The arrests took place in the city of Banda Lampung and Merak seaport respectively. Bandar Lampung is the provincial capital of Lampung, around 90 km from Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, one of the most important sites globally for Sumatran tiger, the critically endangered tiger sub-species found only in Indonesia. The Merak seaport on the island of Java, just across the Sunda Strait from Lampung, is an important hub between Sumatra and Java and a popular exit point for smuggling wildlife.

Andre Ginson, SH., Section Head at BKSDA West Java’s Serang office, said: “We really appreciate WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit’s technical assistance which made this arrest possible, and especially for always providing us with accurate information on tiger trafficking. We hope our collaboration between the Ministry of Forestry and WCS to combat illicit trade of tiger will continue.”

Adjunct Senior Commissioner Sulistyaningsih, Spokesperson of the Lampung Police, said: “The tiger trader broke Indonesian Law No. 5 year 1990 by selling protected wildlife parts. The trader will be charged a maximum of 5 years prison and a maximum fine of USD $10,000.”

Joe Walston, WCS Vice President for Field Conservation said: “These recent arrests send a clear message to wildlife traffickers that Indonesia is serious about wildlife crime. We commend the West Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of the Ministry of Forestry and the Indonesian Police Lampung Office for working to save Indonesia’s wildlife heritage from illegal wildlife trafficking. Collaboration with Indonesian authorities is crucial in enforcement actions like these.”

WCS’s Wildlife Crimes Unit is supported by the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Asian Elephant Conservation Fund and Great Apes Conservation Fund, the AZA Tiger Species Survival Plan Tiger Conservation Campaign, and San Diego Zoo Global.

CONTACT:
STEPHEN SAUTNER: (1-718-220-3682; ssautner@wcs.org
JOHN DELANEY: (1-718-220-3275; jdelaney@wcs.org

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Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org; http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS; http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia Follow: @thewcs.