Riau Police Crackdown on Illegal Ivory Trade Money Laundering and Drug Smuggling

Police in Indonesia’s Riau province disclosed a money‑laundering scheme involving about Rp1.9 billion linked to the illegal trade of Sumatra elephant ivory. Investigators identified 17 suspects, seized high‑value assets and described the operation as an organized financial network supporting wildlife trafficking.

In a separate enforcement action, the regional customs office and the anti‑narcotics unit of Polda Riau intercepted 6.9 kg of methamphetamine and 969 cartridges of the anesthetic Etomidate in Pekanbaru. Officers arrested a suspect, recovered the narcotics and seized the cartridges, highlighting a coordinated effort to block large‑scale drug smuggling.

Both operations illustrate a heightened focus by Riau authorities on dismantling organized crime networks involved in wildlife trafficking and narcotics distribution.