How Wildlife Traffickers Are Utilizing Coded Language to Promote Protected Animals On Fb

A Bellingcat investigation has recognized 9 Fb teams with a mixed membership of greater than 70,000 folks, through which coded language has helped unlawful wildlife sellers evade bans on the platform for years. Fb says it prohibits any type of animal buying and selling on its platform.

Investigating the operators behind all 9 teams, Bellingcat recognized six Fb profiles that led again to a single dealer in Jakarta, Indonesia. This investigation was carried out in partnership with Mongabay. You possibly can learn their report right here.

In an open Fb group, openly titled “West Bogor Animal Promoting and Buying and selling Discussion board,” one member posts an advert for a susceptible rhinoceros hornbill.

Commenting on the advert, one other member warns: “Simply watch out to not get caught.” 

“That’s the chance,” replies the vendor. 

Underneath Indonesian legislation, the seize, commerce, or possession of a rhinoceros hornbill is punishable by as much as 5 years’ imprisonment or a superb of as much as Rp100 million (US$6,000). (Based on Statistics Indonesia, the common month-to-month wage in August 2025 was simply over Rp3 million or US$180.)

Meta additionally states that the shopping for and promoting of animals on its platforms is prohibited. Nevertheless, on this group, together with eight others recognized by Bellingcat, animals have been traded in plain sight for years, together with wild and guarded species. Three of the 9 teams have been dwell on Fb for no less than 5 years. 4 have been energetic for 12 months or extra, and the remaining two have been created in 2025.

All 9 teams state of their “About” tab that they’re primarily based in or round Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. As one of the vital biodiverse nations on the earth, Indonesia is a hotspot for poachers and a key transit hub within the unlawful wildlife commerce.

A fast scan of those teams revealed quite a lot of protected species on the market, together with Javan coucals, Javan scops owls, Javan langurs, binturongs, and each wreathed and rhinoceros hornbills.

In one of the vital energetic teams, West Bogor Animal Promoting and Buying and selling Discussion board, greater than 200 adverts have been posted in a single week. Of those, 18 marketed susceptible species, together with these two toddler silvery gibbons. 

With fewer than 2,500 mature people left within the wild, the silvery gibbon is taken into account endangered. Underneath Indonesian legislation, buying and selling on this species can lead to as much as 5 years’ imprisonment or a superb of as much as Rp 100 million (US$6,000).

Otters have been additionally regularly posted within the group. Common within the Southeast Asian pet commerce, most otter species are protected as a consequence of declining numbers within the wild. Nevertheless, as a result of most of the adverts have been for infants, it was not at all times potential to find out which otter species was being bought, and subsequently whether or not it was protected.

“Utilizing Codes So The Group Stays Secure”

Regardless of Fb’s whole ban on animal buying and selling, together with pets, within the group titled: Civet/Pet Shopping for and Promoting within the Higher Jakarta Space, members have been instructed within the “About” tab to “prioritise utilizing codes so the group stays secure from being banned.”

Alphanumeric codes have been used to debate animal costs in eight of the 9 teams recognized by Bellingcat. Based on the Indonesian information outlet Jateng In the present day, the usage of pricing codes, supposed to bypass Fb’s automated moderation techniques, isn’t unusual amongst animal merchants on the platform.

Such codes use the letters A, B, and C to indicate completely different Indonesian rupiah denominations. A stands for a Rp100,000 observe (about US$6), whereas B represents a Rp50,000 observe (about US$3). An accompanying quantity specifies the amount, so A3 signifies three Rp100,000 notes.

Within the submit under, one member asks, “A2 dapet apa?” – “What does A2 (Rp 200,000; US$12) get you?”

The submit obtained 69 replies, with members providing all the pieces from otters to owls, civets and geckos.

The time period “Wc” – a standard shorthand in animal buying and selling teams for “wild-caught” – was additionally regularly used throughout all 9 teams. Underneath Indonesian legislation, even when a species isn’t listed as susceptible or protected, capturing and promoting wild animals and not using a allow is prohibited.

Requested whether or not its moderation techniques might detect price codes (as textual content or embedded in pictures) or key phrases comparable to WC (when discovered subsequent to photographs of animals), Meta responded: 

“Unhealthy actors always evolve their ways to keep away from enforcement, which is why we companion with teams just like the World Wildlife Fund and spend money on instruments and know-how to detect and take away violating content material.”

The Operators

Whereas investigating the operators behind all 9 teams, Bellingcat recognized six Fb profiles that led again to at least one particular person dealer primarily based in Jakarta. 

By navigating to the “Individuals” tab in one of many teams, a listing of admins and moderators seems, together with an account referenced under as AB. Regardless of AB’s profile being locked, a search with the time period “wa.” (WhatsApp’s click-to-chat function) returned dozens of animal adverts alongside a cellphone quantity.

Utilizing the cellphone quantity to seek for AB’s historic posts, six out of the 9 teams underneath investigation have been discovered to have adverts for susceptible species, together with this advert for a binturong. 

Listed as susceptible by the Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), holding a binturong, not to mention buying and selling it commercially, is prohibited underneath Indonesian legislation.

AB has additionally marketed this “Celepuk Wc”, a wild-caught scops owl, seen under. Though the species itself isn’t protected, promoting a wild-caught owl in Indonesia and not using a allow (that are tightly regulated) violates Indonesian legislation.

By following the cellphone quantity shared by AB, 5 extra Fb profiles have been uncovered. The six profiles regularly shared comparable adverts, usually inside days of one another, for a similar species, generally that includes an identical inside background, and at all times itemizing the identical phone quantity.

Late final 12 months, one of many accounts referenced under as W, posted this wreathed hornbill, a protected species in Indonesia. 

Of the six profiles, just one, named Azie Soka Smithh has ever posted private knowledge, together with a profile image of a person with a toddler. 

Additional investigation into Azie Soka Smithh confirmed their presence on different platforms, together with Telegram and Instagram. Nevertheless, their full authorized title remained unknown. Whereas trying to find visible clues to their location, it turned obvious that the overwhelming majority of pictures had been tightly cropped, revealing little about their whereabouts – apart from a handful of pictures that appeared to have been taken on the identical location: a pet store.

Within the adverts proven under, a poster will be seen on the wall behind the cage displaying the store title Station Sato Unique and a cellphone quantity. Of all the pictures seemingly taken in the identical store, none featured species protected underneath Indonesian legislation. Nevertheless, the long-tailed macaque proven under is thought-about endangered in accordance with IUCN as a consequence of declining numbers within the wild. 

A Google seek for the store’s title and quantity returned a Google Maps itemizing for Station Sato Unique. A person named “beni” had left a five-star ranking in addition to a number of dozen pictures and movies of the pet store’s inside, together with one which appeared to point out a person sitting subsequent to an similar poster as seen within the animal adverts. 

Based on beni’s Google account, his full title is Beni Abdul Hamid (translated from Arabic). His bio reads: “We promote numerous sorts of equipment, cages, animal feed, and many others” (translated from Bahasa Indonesia).

Of the 16 pictures and 25 movies posted by Beni, a number of confirmed a left hand holding animals as much as the digital camera, with a particular mole seen on the wrist. A seemingly similar mole appeared in a number of of the adverts posted by the six Fb accounts sharing the identical cellphone quantity. Notably, the mole and wrist weren’t seen holding species protected underneath Indonesian legislation. Nevertheless, the long-tailed macaque proven under is thought-about endangered in accordance with IUCN.

Upon visiting Station Sato Unique, our companions at Mongabay confirmed that Google reviewer Beni Abdul Hamid was in truth the proprietor. His son, Jordan Bastian, who was current on the day, instructed their reporter he now manages the store on his father’s behalf.

Bastian confirmed that it was his wrist and mole within the adverts and that he had taken the entire pictures contained in the store. Nevertheless, he stated he was not behind any of the six Fb accounts and that they have been most probably run by an area dealer. He defined that his enterprise depends on a community of brokers working on Fb and WhatsApp. He sends them pictures of the animals he has on the market, and so they deal with sourcing and organising all the pieces with the customer in change for a reduce of the earnings.

“I’m a dealer. I’m concerned in advertising and marketing the animals, so I present the pictures,” stated Bastian. “I don’t need to know in regards to the purchaser.”

When proven the Fb account for Azie Soka Smithh, Bastian confirmed that the person within the profile image was an area dealer, however one who seldom visited the store.

Station Sato Unique Pet Store additionally has an internet presence on Tokopedia, a significant Indonesian market. The platform’s tips prohibit the sale of endangered species, however usually are not clear concerning the sale of different animals, together with pets.

Of Station Sato Unique’s 71 present listings, the massive majority have been miscategorised. Animals are listed as instruments, toys, aquarium decorations and books. They’re additionally miscategorised as different species; for instance, birds and squirrels have been listed as hamsters or reptiles.

One advert encompasses a susceptible cuckoo species, the Sunda Coucal. Endemic to Java and numbering fewer than 10,000, this chook has been listed as susceptible since 1994.

Requested whether or not he had bought many animals by way of Tokopedia, Bastian stated his account had been blocked after he was banned for promoting squirrels. When proven the advert above for the Sunda Coucal, he stated he was stunned to study it was categorised as susceptible. Tokopedia didn’t reply to requests for remark concerning an advert for a susceptible species showing on their platform. 

On the sale of protected or susceptible species extra broadly, Bastian admitted he had previously, however has since stopped, describing “the chance is massive” and saying he prefers to “play it secure.” 

After contacting the native authorities for remark, three officers from the West Java Pure Sources Conservation Company (BBKSDA) made a shock go to to Station Sato Unique, as a result of store having beforehand been reported for promoting protected species. Head of Conservation Stephanus Hanny stated that upon arrival, “We went inside and checked each animal… We didn’t discover any protected species.” He added that even the sale of non-protected wildlife requires a allow, which the store doesn’t presently maintain. Nevertheless, because it’s not a felony offence, Hanny stated they may solely difficulty the homeowners with a warning. 

Bellingcat additionally contacted the cellphone quantity related to Azie Soka Smithh. The individual replied, confirming they managed all six accounts however denied promoting any animals, together with protected and susceptible species. “I’m only a hobbyist. An animal lover,” they stated. 

On condition that the account had been discovered promoting susceptible and guarded species on the market, the Indonesian Director Common of Forestry Legislation Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, stated authorities would examine. Requested how their workforce of investigators was adapting to the unlawful wildlife commerce rising on-line, Nugroho replied:

“Legal behaviour continues to breed itself to be able to survive. Actually, it may possibly evolve quicker than the legislation enforcement system itself. In response …cyber patrols and desk evaluation by way of the operations room will proceed to be intensified, whereas we additional optimise assist from volunteer networks, working companions, and public participation.”

After contacting Meta, all six accounts, together with Azie Soka Smithh, and all 9 teams, totalling 70,000 members, have been shut down. Meta confirmed: “We eliminated the Fb teams and profiles in query for violating our Restricted Items and Providers Coverage.”

Merel Zoet and Claire Press contributed to this report.

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