Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s National Police have dismantled a trafficking syndicate involved in the illegal sale of pangolin scale in Garut, West Java. The scales, believed by some to contain medicinal or narcotic properties, were being sold at an estimated Rp40 million (approximately $2,400) per kilogram.
The Special Crimes Directorate of the National Police (Dittipidter) arrested two suspects, identified only as A and RK, and seized 30.5 kilograms of pangolin scales during the operation. Authorities say the amount represents the killing of roughly 200 pangolins.
“In order to get 30.5 kilograms of scales, around 200 pangolins had to be killed,” said Senior Commissioner Edy Suwandono, head of Sub-Directorate IV of Dittipidter, at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday, June 11.
According to investigators, suspect RK had been poaching pangolins in the Garut area. Suwandono noted that the traffickers were aware pangolins are protected under Indonesian law and thus sold the scales covertly to a select group of trusted buyers.
“This is a protected species. They knew if law enforcement found out, they’d be prosecuted,” he said. “That’s why they only sold to people they trusted, to regular buyers within their network.”
He warned that not only traffickers but also buyers of pangolin scales could face legal consequences. “Anyone who owns, stores, buys, or trades in these products can be prosecuted under Indonesian law,” he added.
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Pangolins are scaly mammals found across Africa and Asia, with eight known species. Despite being listed as a protected animal, pangolins remain one of the most heavily trafficked mammals in the world.
In Indonesia, Pangolin status as protected animal ruled under Indonesia’s Law No. 5 of 1990 on Conservation of Natural Resources.
Poachers continue to hunt them illegally for both their meat and scales, which are highly sought after in traditional medicine and black-market trade.
The scales are not consumed directly as food but are processed into traditional medicines. Many believe pangolin scales have health-boosting properties, though these claims lack scientific backing.
Authorities have also voiced concern over the presence of Tramadol HCl, a powerful opioid painkiller allegedly found in some processed pangolin scale products. The drug, often abused, is used to treat severe acute or post-surgical pain and is also linked to illicit psychotropic substances.
Despite the lack of proven scientific research, illegal pangolin scale trafficking remains widespread, driven by demand from traditional medicine markets and the myth of its healing properties.
(Raidi/Agung)
