Aceh police have named former regent Bener Meriah Ahmadi as a suspect in a wildlife crime involving the skin of a Sumatran tiger, and detained him along with two other suspects.

The three suspects face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of 100 million rupees ($6,928).

“They were arrested in order to facilitate the upcoming legal process,” said Subhan, chief law enforcement officer, Sumatra Environment and Forestry Bureau.

The suspects were caught in the act on May 23 while trying to sell the skin and bones of an endangered species of tiger in Samar Kilang district, Bener Meriah regency, Aceh.

The Sumatran tiger is native to the island and has been classified as critical danger since 2008 on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Poaching, including through the use of traps, as well as the loss of natural tiger habitat are among the main causes that have reduced the population of Sumatran tigers in the wild.