Enviro News Asia, Semarang – The Ministry of Forestry, in cooperation with the Central Java Regional Police, has successfully dismantled an illegal trade network of the protected pangolin (Manis javanica) in Ambarawa, Semarang Regency.
During the operation, officers arrested a suspect identified as GM (43), a resident of Dusun Kupang Lor, Ambarawa District. GM was found to have acted as a collector of pangolins from various areas across Central Java to be sold on the black market.
Investigators seized evidence consisting of a live pangolin and five kilograms of pangolin scales. This discovery indicates a broader trafficking network, with GM serving as the link between hunters and illegal markets.
The case came to light following public reports of suspicious activities in local neighborhoods and at Pon Market, Ambarawa. The information prompted further intelligence investigation, leading to the joint operation that resulted in GM’s arrest. He is now in custody and faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp2 billion under the Law on the Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems.
Head of the Central Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Darmanto, stressed the ecological importance of pangolins for Indonesia’s tropical forests.
“As a protected species, pangolins play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance. The illegal trade of their scales poses a serious threat to the survival of this vulnerable species,” he said.
Darmanto added that the agency would strengthen wildlife market surveillance by enhancing officer capacity, increasing patrols, and working closely with communities and law enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, Head of the Forestry Law Enforcement Center for the Java-Bali-Nusa Tenggara Region, Aswin Bangun, emphasized that this case proves wildlife trafficking is an organized crime.
“Pangolin trafficking is not just a minor violation but a serious threat to Indonesia’s ecological sustainability. We will continue to trace and dismantle the larger networks behind this illegal trade,” he asserted.
Aswin also highlighted the rising trend of pangolin trafficking in recent years, indicating the growing scale of the illegal wildlife market.
Currently, investigators from the Ministry of Forestry’s Directorate General of Law Enforcement are continuing to probe the case to expose the wider network. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to combating crimes against protected plants and wildlife as part of the state’s responsibility to safeguard Indonesia’s natural resources. (*)
