Through their expertise, Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono and Dr. Tuty Arisuryanti, lecturers at the UGM Faculty of Biology, have made significant contributions to the recent elephant ivory trade investigation in Aceh.
In an operation led by the Sumatra Regional Office of Environmental and Forestry Security and Law Enforcement, the two experts were asked to identify the origin of illegally smuggled elephant ivory seized at Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport, Aceh.
The two experts promptly responded to the request and conducted DNA analysis on the recovered samples of elephant ivory. Despite the degraded condition of the DNA, they could identify specific genotypes using forensic DNA.
“The results of the forensic DNA analysis revealed that the elephant ivory originated from the Sumatran subspecies of Asian elephants,” said Dr. Priyono on Tuesday (27/6).
He emphasized that this discovery suggests that the ivory comes from illegal trading. The information provided is crucial evidence in the investigation and efforts to combat the ivory trade in Indonesia.
“With strong scientific evidence regarding the origin of the ivory, the authorities have proceeded with legal processes and identified the networks involved in the trade,” he said.
Previously, a Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport personnel reported the discovery of a box containing 5 kg of elephant ivory, measuring 58 cm in length, 52 cm in inner base length, 62 cm in outer base length, and 31 cm in base diameter, along with 56 sachets of coffee and 0.5 kg of chips that were to be sent to Surakarta, Central Java, to the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA).
On May 18, the Aceh BKSDA handed over the seized evidence to the Sumatra Regional Office of Environmental and Forestry Security and Law Enforcement. The suspect, M, is currently detained at the Aceh Regional Police for further examination.
Dr. Priyono added that the ivory trade is a global issue that damages elephant populations and threatens ecosystem sustainability. He hopes this case will set an important precedent in the efforts to combat the illegal trade of protected animals and raise awareness of the importance of wildlife conservation.
Dr. Dwi Sendi Priyono is known for his experience in the genetic analysis of elephant populations in Indonesia, particularly in Way Kambas National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park.
Author: Agung Nugroho