The crackdown, carried out in late April 2026, was launched after the ministry’s cyber patrol unit flagged social media posts showcasing wildlife contraband, prompting a raid in the cultural hub of Gianyar Regency by environmental inspectors and Bali Police.
"Cases like this require meticulous investigation because the evidence is no longer in the form of raw animal parts, but has been transformed into commercial handicrafts," head of the Java-Bali-Nusa Tenggara environmental law enforcement desk, Aswin Bangun, said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Investigators had to legally verify the material, the species' protected status, and the intent to traffic."
Authorities seized a large cache of intricate carvings, statues, and raw fragments confirmed to be elephant ivory from two art shops in Tampaksiring, Gianyar.
The shop owner, identified by his initials IKS, was named a criminal suspect. Prosecutors confirmed Wednesday that the case file is complete and ready for trial.
IKS faces severe criminal penalties under Indonesia’s Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Ecosystems Act (Law No. 32/2024).
The revised law imposes strict bans on possessing, transporting, or trading any specimens or commercial goods derived from protected wildlife.
The Ministry’s Director-General of Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, warned that the global appetite for luxury ivory trinkets drives the poaching crisis threatening Sumatra's critically endangered elephants.
"As long as these items are viewed as collectibles, ornaments, or economic commodities, illegal poaching and trafficking will always find a market," Nugroho said.
"Conservation law enforcement must not only prosecute cases but also close market loopholes and build public awareness that protected wildlife is not a commodity."
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Translator: Prisca Triferna Violleta, Aditya Eko Sigit Wicakso
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
