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| Pangolin scales in Ebolowa |
Two suspected pangolin scales traffickers have been arrested in
Ebolowa following a sting operation carried out by wildlife officials and the
judicial police on October 10.
The two, aged 39
and 37, who were found attempting to sell over 70kg of pangolin scales at the
Mekalat neighbourhood in Ebolowa. They carefully concealed the pangolin bags
when they arrived at the area but were uncovered by wildlife officials. The
operation was carried out by the South Regional Delegation of Forestry and
Wildlife, with the technical assistance of The Last Great Ape Organisation
(LAGA).
According to
sources close to the matter that spoke on condition of anonymity, the two have
been doing business for a very long time with a Nigerian national who regularly
bought and exported pangolin scales. They equally had a collection of small
scale traffickers scattered around villages near Djoum and Mvangan. They would
go around collecting the scales and when the quantities were significant, they
would sell on to a bigger trafficker. Their activity span across Gabon and
Congo and had been going on for a number of years.
The operation
comes on the heels of another operation carried out a day before that witnessed
the arrest of two ivory traffickers in Yaounde by wildlife officials who were
assisted by LAGA. The arrests fall within the framework of government’s
collaborative efforts at implementing wildlife laws. The illegal trade in
pangolin scales is emerging, along the lines of the illegal ivory trade, as a
serious threat to the survival of pangolins and several tons of scales have
been seized within the framework of this collaboration. Government, in February
this year, destroyed three of an approximately eight tons of pangolin scales
already seized and stocked.
During the last
few years, a growing number of people are being arrested for trafficking in
pangolin scales indicating a rapid rise of the illegal trade in pangolin
scales. This is gradually drawing attention to the plight of the pangolins that
is considered to be the most trafficked mammal in the world. Several tons of
pangolins have equally been seized in Asia and the origin is always invariably
from Africa, especially from Central Africa including Cameroon.
Cameroon is home
to three species of pangolins including the long tail pangolin, the tree
pangolin and the giant pangolin with all are listed in class A that gives
maximum protection to endangered species of wildlife in the country.
The first hearing
of the case against the two traffickers has been fixed for October 17 and they
are presently in custody, They shall be facing charges of illegal possession,
circulation and commercialization of parts of protected wildlife. According to
the 1994 wildlife law, they have equally
been charged with the killing of protected species.
Pic
Pangolin scales in Ebolowa
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