Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Forestry named three suspects involved in illegal poaching in the Komodo National Park area, following a shootout during a joint team's attempt to thwart their poaching.
"This is our commitment to protect the biodiversity in conservation areas. Besides taking firm action against the perpetrators, we continue to uncover the networks involved in this illegal practice, including the distribution of homemade weapons and ammunition used in poaching," the ministry's Director General of Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, said in a statement on Friday.
The joint team thwarted an attempt by a group of poachers suspected of poaching protected wildlife, particularly deer, in the Komodo National Park area.
When ambushed, the poachers attempted to flee in a wooden boat, and after verbal warnings and warning shots were ignored, an exchange of gunfire occurred.
A chase ensued until the joint team secured three individuals, now named suspects by the initials AB, AD, and Y.
The perpetrators face a maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rp5 billion (US$290 thousand). For alleged firearm possession, the perpetrators also face the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a maximum sentence of 20 years.
The joint team then conducted a further search on the scene on December 14 and secured additional evidence, including 10 bullet casings, eight 5.56mm caliber bullets, a deer, and a homemade firearm with its magazine still attached.
Other evidence, including a knife, a headlamp, a smartphone, and a wooden boat, was also seized for further investigation.
Nugroho then emphasized his office's commitment to unraveling the root causes of the ongoing illegal hunting in the Komodo National Park area.
The ministry will further examine the factors that encourage people, particularly local residents, to hunt deer, using cultural anthropology and community-based economic approaches to develop sustainable solutions.
"This issue of illegal hunting cannot be addressed through law enforcement alone. Community involvement is also essential to protect wildlife and ecosystems in the Komodo National Park area," he emphasized.
Therefore, studies on hunting practices and the development of alternative livelihoods for nearby communities are part of efforts to balance wildlife conservation with improved community welfare, he pointed out.
