Manado. Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry has foiled an international wildlife trafficking operation involving a Chinese national attempting to smuggle parts of protected animals through North Sulawesi.

The suspect, identified by the initials BQ, was caught with a cache of illegal animal parts including rhino horns, tiger fangs, and gall bladders. 

Dwi Januanto Nugroho, Director General of Law Enforcement at the Forestry Ministry, said the case is part of a broader crackdown on transnational wildlife crime. “We are committed not only to prosecuting the suspect but also dismantling the broader criminal network behind this trade, up to the intellectual actors and international syndicates,” Dwi said in a statement received Wednesday in Jakarta.

He described the case as a serious threat to biodiversity and national security. “Wildlife trafficking is not just an environmental offense, it is transnational crime often linked to money laundering, corruption, and document forgery,” Dwi said.

The arrest was triggered by a Customs report from Manado’s airport, where officials inspected BQ’s luggage after his early-morning arrival. The search revealed multiple suspicious packages lacking proper documentation, including health and transport permits.

Authorities confiscated the materials, which were later identified by quarantine and conservation officials as parts of protected wildlife. Among the seized items were 12 tiger fangs, 20 gall bladders, and several packages believed to contain rhino horn, now undergoing forensic testing at Gadjah Mada University’s Animal Systematics Laboratory.

BQ has been detained at the Class II Detention Center in Manado. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a Rp 2 billion ($125,000) fine under Indonesia’s conservation laws. The evidence has been transferred to the North Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency.

Rudianto Saragih Napitu, Director of Forestry Crime Enforcement, warned that protected wildlife crimes are considered extraordinary due to their environmental and ecological impact. “North Sulawesi, especially Manado, is a known hotspot for illegal wildlife trafficking by air, land, and sea. We will intensify enforcement to stop this trade,” he said.