JakartaPost-Feb 5, 2026
Investigators from the Sumatra Forestry Law Enforcement Agency (Gakkum) have named a suspect in the attempted smuggling of hundreds of protected wild animals, including an orangutan, to Thailand. Identified only as AS, the suspect is a resident of North Aceh regency, Aceh, and is currently being detained at the Aceh Police detention center. Hundreds of animals have been being impounded by investigators, with one orangutan and three East Javan langurs receiving medical treatment at the Animal Rescue Center in Sibolangit, North Sumatra. The director general of forestry law enforcement at the Forestry Ministry, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, said AS was the entry point for the Gakkum team to break up the animal smuggling syndicate. Dwi said he suspected the involvement of an organized international crime network in the case. “Gakkum will cooperate with the Financial Transactions Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), prosecutors, police and other related institutions to trace the suspect’s network and money trail,” he told reporters on Monday. Meanwhile, Gakkum head Hari Novianto said the suspect AS had attempted to smuggle 53 cages of protected animals, mostly birds. The animals comprised the orangutan and three East Javan langurs, seven eclectus parrots, 17 lovebirds, three Sunda crows, two green parrots, five great hornbills, four hornbills, three Nias hill mynas, 14 birds of paradise, one Wilson’s bird-of-paradise, one Nias black starling, nine orange breasted fig parrots, four albino bats, 15 cockatoos and two Melanesian megapodes. There was also a packed skeleton believed to be that of a tiger, 30 packages of frozen horseshoe crabs and one package of snakes. “All the animals were to be smuggled by AS to Thailand,” Hari told The Jakarta Post. He said the suspect tried to smuggle the protected animals through a port on the eastern coast of Aceh. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/02/05/authorities-prevent-attempted-smuggling-of-wildlife-to-thailand.html?utm_source=(direct)&utm_medium=home_indonesia.
