Two pangolin scales traffickers nabbed,
over 100kg seized
 |
| Pangolin scales traffickers caught red-handed |
The two suspects were arrested during an
operation carried out in Ngaoundal by wildlife officials from the Djerem Divisional
Delegation of Forestry with support from the Judiciary and administrative
officials.
The operation that led to the arrest was
carried out with the technical assistance of an international NGO called LAGA
and the arresting team comprised elements from the gendarmerie territorial
brigade in Ngaoundal. The two were arrested for illegal possession of 128 kg of
scales from the giant pangolin which is listed in class A of the wildlife law
giving the species total protection.
When
information on the arrest of the 46-year-old man and his 35-year-old
co-offender was received by the DO for Ngaoundal, he immediately went to the
gendarmerie territorial brigade where he held a brief discussion with the
Brigade Commander who promised support from his office to the legal proceedings
against the traffickers..
Sources
close to the case say the main trafficker had transported the scales from
Tibati were he resides to Ngaoundal where he planned to do business and shortly
before his arrest he hired a car that transported the scales and stopped in
front of a bar where the driver and his assistant off loaded the scales stocked
in used rice bags. They deposited the bags in front of the bar that was
considered to be the place of transaction and before he could proceed to do
business, the arresting team got them.
The
driver who was also stopped pleaded with the team saying he had simply been
hired to transport the stuff and had no part to play in the deal. The team
believed him and accompanied by his assistant, they were allowed to leave. The
traffickers had made several observation rounds around the area to ensure it
was suitable for business before embarking on getting the car to transport the
products.
A
payment receipt recovered from of one of traffickers indicated a payment of
FCFA 114 000 for a wildlife trafficking offense given by a ruling of the Tibati court of first
instance, indicating he is a repeat offender and prior investigations revealed
he is part of a network of giant pangolin scales trafficking that is a rampant
in the area is close to the MbamDjerem National Park that was classified in
2000 to protect the several wildlife species and their habitat. Tibati serves
as his base which is not far from the park and his activities extend to far off
commercial centres of Yaounde and Bertoua.
A
house search was conducted later in the day at the premises of a concubine of
one of the traffickers. Several parts of other primate species including the
chimpanzee where found at the woman’s house.
Pangolin
scales are fast becoming a commodity of choice for wildlife traffickers who
have the necessary organizational skills and logistics to handle because they
are bulky. Recently online reports say over 4 tons of pangolin scales were
seized in Hong Kong. It was shipped from Cameroon. The rising scale of the trade is obliging
some conservationists to call for a destruction of scales stocks pilled from
seizures. This is the case with ivory stocks that have been destroyed by
several nations, weary of the plummeting population of elephant that are killed
for ivory.
The
pangolin is gradually making its name in conservation circles. A few years back
very few talked about this species that is mainly nocturnal and was barely
studied. Sadly, it is the trafficking in
its scales that is raising awareness and although some argue it is nevertheless
coming out from oblivion with many measures now targeting the animal, many fear
that it may be too little or too late,
while concluding that time may be running out fast for the scaly anteater.
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