Exterminators arrested for orangutan killings

Exterminators arrested for orangutan killings
The Jakarta Post | Mon, 11/21/2011 9:49 PM

The police have arrested two palm oil plantation workers for allegedly killing dozens of monkeys and orangutans in Puan Cepak village in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan.

The suspects, both exterminators, claimed that they were paid to kill the animals under orders from a supervisor.

“They received Rp 200,000 [US$22] to kill a monkey and Rp 1 million for an orangutan,” National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said on Monday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The suspects claimed that they killed 20 orangutans and monkeys between 2008 and 2010, although police believe the true number of slaughtered animals number to be much higher.

Saud said that the men would send dogs to find and kill the animals if they could not be shot.

“If [the animals] had already been shot and killed, they would take pictures and ask for pay from the company,” he said.

Among items taken into evidence by investigators were photographs of the slain animals and buried bones unearthed near the plantation.

When asked whether or not the police would arrest the managers, Saud said, “We are developing [the investigation].”

The suspects face five years in jail and Rp 100 million in fine for violating Law No. 5/1990 on Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation.

Scene: Exterminators arrested for orangutan killings
The Jakarta Post | Tue, 11/22/2011 11:18 PM

JAKARTA: The police have arrested two palm oil plantation workers for allegedly killing dozens of monkeys and orangutans in Puan Cepak village in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan.

The suspects, both exterminators, claimed that they were paid to kill the animals under orders from a supervisor.

“They received Rp 200,000 [US$22] to kill a monkey and Rp 1 million for an orangutan,” National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said on Monday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The suspects claimed that they killed 20 orangutans and monkeys between 2008 and 2010, although police believe the true number of slaughtered animals could be much higher.

Saud said that the men would send dogs to find and kill the animals if they could not be shot. “If [the animals] had already been shot and killed, they would take pictures and ask for pay from the company,” he said.

Among items taken into evidence by investigators were photographs of the slain animals and buried bones unearthed near the plantation.

Comments: Exterminators arrested for orangutan killings
The Jakarta Post | Thu, 11/24/2011 10:33 AM

Nov. 21, Online

The police have arrested two palm oil plantation workers for allegedly killing dozens of monkeys and orangutans in Puan Cepak village in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan.

The suspects, both exterminators, claimed that they were paid to kill the animals under orders from a supervisor.

“They received Rp 200,000 [US$22] to kill a monkey and Rp 1 million for an orangutan,” National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud
Usman Nasution said on Monday.

Your comments:

It is the big logging companies that should pay. They “employ” palm plantation workers and locals to carry out their dirty work and then, when these locals are arrested, they move to next villager.

Just disgraceful!

Asha

Money rules even in the jungle: no feelings for the animals.

Ronis

I am angry as to how a Malaysian company is allowed to break Indonesian laws by allegedly killing orangutans, a protected species and now under great extinction threat.

We, the people who love our environment and animals, want to see prosecution for what has happened, and according to Daniek Hendarto of Center for Orangutan Protection, there is massive evidence to support investigation.

Will the police take up this case with full seriousness and take the guilty party to court? Will they be prosecuted if found guilty? Based on what we have read, it really does seem the company is guilty of orangutan slaughter.

Again, why is a Malaysian company allowed to wreak havoc and show utter disrespect to Indonesian laws regarding orangutans? Why is Indonesia not serious in protecting orangutans?

No Malaysian company should be allowed to murder orangutans for palm oil profit. This must stop now, before more bad reputation hits both Malaysia and Indonesia and its tourism industry is severely effected.

Paul Dharmaraj
Negeri Sembilan

Police arrest alleged masterminds behind orangutan deaths
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 11/25/2011 10:07 AM

East Kalimantan Police have arrested and named two people suspects, PCH, a Malaysian, and his Indonesian cohort, W, in connection with the recent death of several orangutans in plantation areas in Kalimantan.

“According to earlier reports, PCH acted as the mastermind for the killing. He hired two locals to carry out the killings,” East Kalimantan Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wisnu Sutirta said Thursday as quoted by tempo.co.

Wisnu added that PCH, the manager of PT Khaleda Agroprima Malindo, believed the orangutans were a pest that could ruin his company’s assets in the local forests, and had thus made efforts to exterminate them.

Wisnu said police were seeking information on where the money came from to pay for the killings.