During a search of the suspect's home, police discovered 8 rhino horns and 5 elephant tusks. The man reportedly sold rhino horn for 35 million rupiah (approximately $2,300) per gram. Police estimated the total value of the 8 kg of rhino horn at hundreds of billions of rupiah.
Indonesia's Ministry of Environment stated that if convicted, the suspect could face up to 15 years in prison. Despite severe penalties, illegal wildlife trade persists due to high profits.
The arrest follows a June incident where poachers were caught for hunting 26 endangered Javan rhinos in Ujung Kulon National Park since 2018. Illegal trade has drastically reduced Indonesia's wild rhino population from thousands to around 80, with Sumatran rhinos particularly at risk - fewer than 50 remain worldwide according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
