Jakarta, May 26 -- The Indonesian National Police (Polri) arrested four persons for the illegal possession and trade of elephant ivory worth approximately Rp2.3 billion (US$141.5 thousand).

Speaking at a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, Brig. General Nunung Syaifuddin, director of certain criminal offenses at Polri's Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim), said that his team seized several ivory items from the suspects, identified by their initials as IR, EF, SS, and JF.

He highlighted that IR and EF were found in possession of eight ivory tusks, 178 smoking pipes believed to be made from ivory, and two packages of ivory smoking pipes ready for delivery. The items are worth Rp1.39 billion.

From SS, the police confiscated 135 i...