International media
Sur le front des animaux menacés
TV France 2, 30 Jun 2020French TV channel France 2 during its prime time programme “Sur le front des animaux menacés” showed the pangolin trafficking theme with LAGA and covered the recent crackdown arrest of two military men with 400kg of pangolin scales, as well as a follow-up on a previous arrest of a woman trafficker.
On the trail of the pangolin connection
le Monde, 21 Apr 2020The peaceful tropical forest and savannah animal, suspected of being a player in the pandemic, are the subject of illegal and profitable trade organized by crime syndicates.
Soupçonnés d’avoir transmis le coronavirus, les pangolins sont victimes d’un braconnage intense
Reporterre, 16 Apr 2020Reporterre writes about the link between Covid-19 and pangolin trafficking, with a quote from Ofir Drori.
Le très juteux trafic du pangolin
La Croix, 19 Apr 2020La Croix quotes Ofir Drori in an article on pangolin trafficking.
Au Gabon, les ventes de pangolin flanchent avec le Covid-19
Le Monde, 16 Mar 2020Luc Mathot was quoted in le Monde, “Pangolin sales in Gabon falter with Covid-19”.
La Côte d'Ivoire veut mettre fin au trafic de pangolin, espèce protégée
RTBF, 06 Mar 2020EAGLE Côte d’Ivoire was mentioned and the coordinator Rens Ilgen was quoted by several international media at the opportunity of burning the 3 tons of pangolin scales in Côte d’Ivoire.
En Côte d’Ivoire, le gouvernement tente de lutter contre le trafic international de pangolin
Franceinfo, 04 Mar 2020EAGLE Côte d’Ivoire was mentioned and the coordinator Rens Ilgen was quoted by several international media at the opportunity of burning the 3 tons of pangolin scales in Côte d’Ivoire.
Côte d’Ivoire : Une saisie de plus de 3,5 tonnes d’écailles de pangolin incinérée par les autorités
20 Minutes, 04 Mar 2020EAGLE Côte d’Ivoire was mentioned and the coordinator Rens Ilgen was quoted by several international media at the opportunity of burning the 3 tons of pangolin scales in Côte d’Ivoire.
Côte d’Ivoire : Une saisie de plus de 3,5 tonnes d’écailles de pangolin incinérée par les autorités
La Libre Afrique, 03 Mar 2020EAGLE Côte d’Ivoire was mentioned and the coordinator Rens Ilgen was quoted by several international media at the opportunity of burning the 3 tons of pangolin scales in Côte d’Ivoire.
Revelling in death: Poachers pose with a slaughtered elephant and its severed tusks in images found on ivory trafficker's phone as two men are arrested in Congo
Daily Mail, 17 Jul 20192 ivory traffickers were arrested with four tusks, weighing 20 kg in Congo in June. One of them is a repeat offender, already arrested for the same crime two years ago, but he evaded prison due to corruption before being prosecuted. They both are long term traffickers, operating in the area near the Gabonese border. They brought the contraband to the place of transaction on a motorbike concealed in a bag. Photos from their phone revealed some of the slaughter of elephants they generated. Some international media picked up their story.
What is magic without ape parts? Inside the illicit trade devastating Nigeria’s apes
Mongabay, 28 May 2019A Mongabay article “What is magic without ape parts? Inside the illicit trade devastating Nigeria’s apes” quoted Ori Drori and used photos of LAGA to document the illegal trafficking of ape parts:.”
African elephant poaching is falling at last - but it's still too high
New Scientist, 25 May 2019Ofir Drori was quoted in New Scientist article “African elephant poaching is falling at last - but it’s still too high.”
Cameroon Busts Ivory, Pangolin Traffickers
VOA, 20 Mar 2019A Voice of America published the story of the four Cameroonian traffickers arrested in a crackdown operation in Douala in March, with 1.7 tons of pangolin scales and 300 kg of ivory. They are members of a wellorganized syndicate, operating across Africa for years..”
Saisie record de deux tonnes d’écailles de pangolin au Cameroun
RFI 15 Mar 2019RFI published the story of the four Cameroonian traffickers arrested in a crackdown operation in Douala in March, with 1.7 tons of pangolin scales and 300 kg of ivory. They are members of a wellorganized syndicate, operating across Africa for years..”
Ivory Coast seizes huge haul of elephant tusks and pangolin scales
Reuters, 26 Jan 2018Reuters article about the Ivory Coast arrest.
Ivory Coast Arrests Six in Ring That Smuggled Parts of Elephants, Leopards and Pangolins
New York Times, 26 Jan 2018Officials in Ivory Coast said Thursday that they had broken up an international ivory-smuggling network, the second announcement of such a bust on the African continent this month.
Un douanier arręté pour braconnage en Côte d’Ivoire
VOA Afrique, 7 Nov 2017An article in VOA Afrique on the Ivory Coast arrest at the end of October (in French):
Côte d’Ivoire : Saisie de 55 kg d’ivoire et de 46 queues d’éléphants à Abidjan
Agence Anadolu, 7 Nov 2017Une saisie de 55 kg d’ivoire, de 46 queues d’éléphants ainsi que 108 objets en ivoire a été réalisée à Abidjan, a annoncé mardi l’ONG EAGLE-Côte d’Ivoire, spécialisée dans la lutte contre le trafic d’espèces protégées.
Trafic d´especèces protégés : 78 pièces d´ivoire saises à Soumbédioune
le Quotidien, 24 Aug 2017Article in Le Quotidien on the arrest of ivory traffickers in Senegal.
Lion and hippo teeth seized in Senegal's biggest ivory haul
Reuters, 25 Aug 2017Senegal has seized hundreds of figurines and clusters of lion and hippopotamus teeth as part of the biggest ivory haul in its history and arrested two men illegally selling the merchandise, sources involved in the operation said on Thursday. .
Arrests 'big step' in chimp trade battle
BBC, 9 Mar 2017A series of dramatic arrests of notorious wildlife traffickers is being hailed as "one big step" against the illegal trade in baby chimpanzees.
Guinea arrests wildlife trafficker who smuggled endangered chimpanzees for 30 years
International Bussines Times, 7 Mar 2017Abdoul Salam Sidibe accused of selling live animals, including endangered chimpanzees, rare birds and parrots.
7 African Wildlife Trafficking Bust Stories from 2016
US FWS, Jan 2017n January, we highlighted a selection of success stories from 2016 from one of our main partners in Africa, the EAGLE Network. The EAGLE Network (Eco Activists for Governance and Law Enforcement) is spearheading the fight against wildlife crime and corruption in a growing number of countries across Africa. The model for the EAGLE Network first took shape in Cameroon in 2003. At the time, there were virtually no arrests for wildlife crime across Central and West Africa. Since then, the EAGLE Network's efforts have shifted the baseline from zero prosecutions to the arrest of one major wildlife trafficker per week. Today, the EAGLE Network is active in ten countries across Africa, with more than 1,000 significant wildlife traffickers jailed to date. Read more about the EAGLE Network's operations across Africa and find out how this ties into our larger strategy to combat wildlife trafficking in Central Africa.
How Saving One Chimp Led to a New Kind of Anti-Poaching Group
National Geographic, 6 Jun 2016Protecting West Africa’s wildlife from poachers is all about making law enforcement and the courts work, says activist Ofir Drori.
On a mission to nab wildlife criminals
National Geographic, Jun 2016National Geographic introducing Emerging Explorer Naftali Honig, Wildlife Crime Investigator
Celebs go wild to stop illegal trade in animals
Star2, 26 JMay 2016“Celebs go wild to stop illegal trade in animals” - article introducing new UNEP campaign, quoting Ofir Drori: “Illegal wildlife trade is an organized crime. Discussions have been done by biologists and politicians, now we need to have those who are experts in crime. We must also tackle the big fish (in the trade) and not the small guys.”
UN sanctions must target global kingpins in wildlife trade
SABC, 24 May 2016“UN sanctions must target global kingpins in wildlife trade” - an article on UNEP decision on wildlife crime, quoting Ofir Drori.
Wildlife crime: Stealing animals to sell as pets
Al Jazeera, 26 May 2016It is hell's roll call. Wild chimpanzee numbers in Benin - none; in Burkina Faso - none; in Togo - none. More yet may join the extinction list.
Der Fallensteller
Suddeutsche Zeitung, 16 Mar 2016“The Hunter” – an article about Ofir Drori in Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German)
La Chine fait main basse sur les forêts africaines
Le Monde, 28 Mar 2016Article on exploitation of African forest by Chinese, mentioning Conservation Justice..According to Luc Mathot, the head of the NGO Conservation Justice, the author of an overwhelming report denouncing “an organized mafia laundering timber and corruption at all stages” (in French):
Gabon : des hauts fonctionnaires interpellés dans une affaire de trafic de bois précieux
Jeune Afrique, 27 Nov 2015Article in Jeune Afrique about the series of arrest of forest criminals in Gabon (in French):
Gabon: coup de filet chez les trafiquants de bois précieux
RFI Afrique, 4 Nov 2015Article in RFI Afrique about the series of arrest of forest criminals in Gabon (in French):
Corruption and illegal trade in wildlife - Presentation by John E. Scanlon, 6th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption
CITES, 3 Nov 2015EAGLE Network was mentioned by the Secretary General of CITES John Scanlon in his opening speech to the 6th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption:
African Conservation Group With Unusual Mission: Enforcement
Mew York Times, 12 Oct 2015For years, Ansoumane Doumbouya was Guinea’s top official for wildlife protection. He was also the country’s representative to meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Now he is in jail in Conakry, the capital, charged with conducting illegal international trade in the very creatures he was responsible for protecting, including chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos.
Corruption keeps Africa’s poachers in business
Times, 7 Oct 2015When police stormed a house in Brazzaville with sniffer dogs in March they knew what they would find. An undercover agent, posing as an ivory buyer, had been inside and bought a bangle made from elephant tusks for the equivalent of £50.
CITES Secretariat confirms the arrest of former wildlife director in Guinea and applauds national authorities' work
CITES, Sep 2015> The CITES Secretariat has received formal confirmation from INTERPOL, an ICCWC (International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime) partner, that Mr. Ansoumane Doumbouya, the former wildlife director and head of the CITES Management Authority of Guinea was arrested on 14 August 2015 by the Police (the National Central Bureau of Interpol) for his suspected role in corrupt and fraudulent actions in the issuance of CITES export permits.
Wildlife chief arrested as net closes on traffickers selling chimpanzees to Far East
Express UK, 2 Sep 2015A TOP African wildlife official is under arrest after an international investigation into the trafficking of chimpanzees to China.
Plus de 400 kg d'ivoire saisis au Gabon et en Afrique du Sud
Tribune de Geneve 03 Jun 2015Des trafiquants ont été arrêtés au Gabon avec 150 kg d'ivoire braconné. Les douanes de l'aéroport de Johannesburg en ont elles saisi 267 kg.
Moment an orphaned baby chimp is rescued after she was found in a tiny wooden box cowering from animal traffickers who had killed her mother
Daily Mail, 26 Apr 2015Animal traders had kept terrified three-year-old in the box for two weeks. They'd been trying to find a buyer for the chimp on lucrative black market. Men stopped at checkpoint trying to cross into Sierra Leone from Guinea. Guinea is a hub of wildlife trafficking, but prosecution rates are low
