Indonesia reviews possible criminal case after video shows foreign diver spearfishing in Raja Ampat
Indonesia's immigration chief said authorities are working with police to decide if a foreign diver seen in a video spearfishing should be handled under criminal law.
Indonesia is assessing whether to treat a suspected wildlife-hunting incident as a criminal case after a video circulated showing a diver appearing to spearfish in Raja Ampat. Immigration Director General Hendarsam Marantoko said the immigration agency is collaborating with police to determine the appropriate legal formulation, noting that both immigration criminal rules and natural-resource conservation laws will be considered.
The foreign national, identified as Wei Shang and holding a valid AIDA International instructor-trainer membership through 2025, was placed on a subject-of-interest list and monitored through the immigration system. He was detained on September 14 at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar while attempting to fly to Kuala Lumpur, then moved to Sorong Immigration Office for further investigation. Police investigations focus on alleged hunting and killing of protected wildlife in the Pam (Fam) Islands area between September 8 and 11, 2026. Authorities emphasized that foreigners violating Indonesia's nature-conservation regulations could face appropriate sanctions.
Why it matters
The case highlights Indonesia's enforcement of wildlife-protection laws and its approach to foreign nationals suspected of illegal hunting.
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