34 wildlife traffickers have been arrested across five African countries during the first half of this year. The traffickers were arrested in Congo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Togo and Cameroon during crackdown operations carried out under the framework of the government’s collaboration with the EAGLE network that assists wildlife officials in the application of the wildlife law in these countries.
They were arrested while trafficking in parts of protected wildlife species including leopard skins, elephant tusks, and also live hyenas.
16 leopard skins were seized during operations carried out in Ivory Coast, Congo and Senegal with at least 22 traffickers arrested. Nine ivory traffickers were arrested with over 21kg of elephant tusks representing nine elephant tusks. Three live animal traffickers were also arrested with two young hyenas in Senegal.
Among those arrested are three traffickers in Congo, two were arrested with the leopard skins that were carefully hidden inside a backpack and concealed inside a cab. They were whisked off to a gendarmerie station, where, during interrogation, they denounced the third trafficker who was arrested a few days later.
Eight more leopard traffickers were arrested with four leopard skins and a hyena skin in three back-to-back crackdown operations carried out within a space of three and a half hours in Senegal.
Three of the traffickers were arrested with two leopard skins they had carefully concealed in a military backpack as they arrived at the scene of transaction on a motorbike attempting to sell the contraband. About two hours later, two other traffickers were arrested with a leopard skin packaged in a plastic bag and concealed in grains bag attempted to sell as well. An hour later, two more leopard traffickers including a Guinean were arrested with a leopard skin and a hyena skin. One of the traffickers is suspected to be in connection to a local terrorist group.
Some law enforcement institutions, like conservationists, believe the illegal trade in protected wildlife species in Africa is one of the causes of species extinction but efforts by some governments and wildlife law enforcement bodies to create deterrence is seen as an appropriate response. According to Interpol, 70% of Africa’s wildlife has disappeared in 30 years.
Ofir Drori, the founder of Eco Activists for Governance and Law Enforcement (EAGLE), says “From fighting the trafficking networks on the ground I can say we see no signs of decline whatsoever, and rather a continued increase in levels of trafficking.” Criminal networks, therefore, are making it difficult to bring down trafficking, because they are simply well organized.
The EAGLE network is made up of NGOs, including LAGA, working in collaboration with some governments in Africa to improve the application of wildlife laws.
The EAGLE network is active in Cameroon (LAGA) and 6 other countries in Africa including, Congo, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, and Uganda, working closely with the governments to combat illegal wildlife trade. Last year the network assisted in the arrest of 90 traffickers.
