Protecting Biodiversity:

Four notorious ivory traffickers arrested

By a correspondent

A series of crackdown operations carried out by wildlife officials led to the arrest of four ivory traffickers in Bertoua and in Douala. An ivory tusk and several carved and sculpted ivory pieces and jewelry were among the contraband seized from the traffickers during the operations. The operations that came after lengthy investigations were carried out in collaboration with the Forces of Law and Order and with the technical assistance of LAGA – an organisation specialized in wildlife law enforcement.

                During the first operation that was conducted on the October 14, 2015, wildlife officials of the East Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife arrested one man when he attempted to sell an ivory tusk, after a series of moves and maneuvers carried by the suspect to avoid arrest. Following interrogations after his arrest, startling revelations led officials to launch another investigation that permitted an arrest, the next day of the second trafficker who was described as the boss of the trafficker who was the first to be arrested, according to sources close to the investigations.

                They both belonged to a chain that specializes in ivory trafficking, recruiting poachers in the East region and providing them with hunting bullets. One of the traffickers, the same sources say, disclosed they have a long tradition in the illegal trade in ivory starting with his father and this chain includes other members of his family.

                While the second arrest was going in Bertoua, wildlife officials of the Littoral Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife launched a similar operation targeting one of the biggest ivory traffickers in Douala. The suspect who had earlier served two prison terms for ivory trafficking,  3 years imprisonment term in 2004 and 9 months in 2007, was arrested in the Akwaneighbourhood in Douala after he also tried to evade the team made up of wildlife and gendarme officers.

                Some members of the operation team disclosed that this man had, during one of the earlier arrests that landed him a prison term, attempted to jump out of the ship into the ocean. He owns an ivory carving workshop and his activities are connected to Chinese buyers according to the same sources who equally do not understand why after being arrested twice, he continues to illegally carry out wildlife trafficking. The growing illegal trade in ivory and the profits generated from this may explain why this is the case, they presumed.

                Ivory has become the commodity of choice for several wildlife traffickers commanding huge profits in Asia and during the operation he was found to be accompanied by several other accomplices.  The string of accomplices attempted to cover him up and the one who brought the bag containing the ivory pieces was arrested. He came to the scene of transaction after receiving a phone call, presumably to bring the contraband products. 

                They four suspected traffickers are currently under detention and case files are being established by the wildlife officials. They face up to 3 years imprisonment if found guilty. They law governing the wildlife sector stipulates in sections 101 and 158 that  anyone found in possession of part a protected wildlife species is considered to have killed the animal and a prison term of one to three years and or a fine of up to 10 million CFA francs shall be the punishment.