T

he Sumatra office of the Environment and Forestry Ministry’s Law Enforcement Agency has found that many cases of illegal wildlife trading implicate members of the police and Indonesian Military (TNI), making it more difficult to eradicate such crimes.

Agency representative Hendra Ginting said on Tuesday that one of the cases involved the poaching of a baby orangutan that was recently uncovered by the Natural Resources Conservation Agency and several NGOs in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.

Another case occurred several months ago, in which a military officer and a resident were arrested by the agency and a fast response police squad while in possession of a pangolin that was allegedly to be traded illegally.

“It’s not easy to stop the rampant wildlife illegal trade because law enforcers are involved, and they seem to be untouchable by the law,” Hendra told The Jakarta Post.

Therefore, he added, the eradication of illegal trading in protected animals required cooperation and a common understanding and awareness among all stakeholders.