Antara News·Indonesia·Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 01:31 PM

Police seek Red Notice for foreigners in Raja Ampat turtle poaching

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Yuvensius Lasa B, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Aimas, Southwest Papua (ANTARA) - The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Southwest Papua Regional Police is preparing to issue a wanted list notice and Interpol Red Notice request for two foreign nationals suspected of hawksbill sea turtle poaching in Raja Ampat.

Southwest Papua Regional Police Director of Special Criminal Investigation, Senior Commissioner Iwan P. Manurung, on Wednesday said the two foreign nationals were associates of a foreign national identified by the initials WS, who has already been named a suspect in the case.

"We will issue a wanted person notice in order to coordinate with the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) to obtain a Red Notice from Interpol headquarters," Manurung remarked.

According to him, investigators would first determine the legal status of the two foreign nationals.

Subsequently, the police will issue the wanted person notice and submit a request for a Red Notice through the Interpol Indonesia NCB to be forwarded to Interpol headquarters.

Manurung said the identities of the two foreign nationals could not yet be disclosed, as investigators were still conducting further inquiries and had not formally named them as suspects.

"Only after we name them as suspects will we reveal the identities of the two associates of WS who were diving with him at the scene of the incident," he continued.

He informed that the two foreign nationals were allegedly with WS while diving at the location where the suspected poaching of hawksbill sea turtles took place in the waters of the Fam Islands, West Waigeo Sub-district, Raja Ampat District.

WS has been named a suspect after investigators upgraded the case status from preliminary inquiry to full investigation following a case review.

The police have examined the crime scene and secured several pieces of evidence, including sea turtle skeletal remains, turtle scutes (shells), and diving equipment suspected to be linked to the activity.

Manurung emphasized that investigators do not rely primarily on a suspect's confession when determining whether to name someone a suspect. Instead, the decision is based on evidence gathered during the investigation.

He stated that investigators have secured at least two pieces of sufficient evidence to name WS as a suspect.

He added that investigators are enforcing Law Number 32 of 2024, which amends Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning the Conservation of Living Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems.

Investigators will also coordinate with public prosecutors and experts from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) regarding the status of the incident site, which is suspected to be a conservation area.

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