News
3 ivory traffickers arrested
Ivory Coast, 5 Jul 20233 ivory traffickers arrested in the capital Yamoussoukro with 6 elephant tusks. A very large pair of tusks weighing 38kgs belongs to an elephant killed in the Taï National Park - one of the biggest males left in the country. Great work of Gaspard’s team with the UCT special unit and wildlife authorities.
A trafficker arrested with 4 elephant tusks
Gabon, 4 Jul 2023A trafficker arrested with 4 elephant tusks. Good work of Conservation Justice with the authorities.
4 traffickers were arrested with 45 African grey parrots
Congo, 30 Jun 20234 traffickers were arrested with 45 African grey parrots. The illegal network, including a DRC national, was trafficking across DRC and Congo. They arrived at the scene of transaction in a taxi. The parrots were transported in makeshift cages in the boot of the car. They proceeded cautiously as one of them lagged behind, providing cover. The parrots were crammed in two cages. The parrots were taken to the Jane Goodall Institute for appropriate care before their release to the wild.
5 traffickers arrested with 53 kg of pangolin scales
Congo, 30 May 20235 traffickers arrested with 53 kg of pangolin scales and a hippo tooth. They were arrested in a complex operation that took much patience and initiatives by the arresting team. Some of the scales are of the rarer giant pangolin. The criminals were also caught trafficking two minerals - red cinnabar (mercury sulphide) and white cinnabar (mercury sulphate), the second being extremely lucrative for trafficking and toxic even for mere inhaling.
3 traffickers arrested with 12 elephant tusks
Gabon, 29 May 20233 traffickers, including a Burkinabe national, arrested with 12 elephant tusks. The Burkinabe arrived the scene of transaction on a red motorbike, unloaded a cardboard box carefully wrapped in adhesive tape from the motorbike’s luggage rack. The box contained another bag where 12 ivory tusks were concealed. He was arrested shortly afterwards and he denounced another trafficker who was arrested a couple of hours later. They both denounced the third trafficker, a village chief. He was arrested 2 days later.
3 traffickers arrested with 78 kg of pangolin scales
Cameroon, 9 May 20233 traffickers arrested with 78 kg of pangolin scales. They were cautious, tried a number of tricks and came around without the pangolin scales to the place of transaction. They mixed up the scales and parked it in a single bag that was transported on a motorbike. They were very knowledgeable in the illegal business and did everything they could to avoid arrest.
5 traffickers arrested with 126 African grey parrots
Ivory Coast, Senegal, 18 Apr 20235 traffickers arrested with 126 African grey parrots in a crackdown on a transnational live animals trafficking ring in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal.
A trafficker arrested with 55 kg of pangolin scales
Cameroon, 16 Apr 2023A trafficker arrested with 55 kg of pangolin scales. He travelled 41 km with the bag of pangolins scales strapped to his motorcycle. He was arrested when he arrived at the scene of transaction and attempted to sell the pangolin scales. The operation came at the end of a long investigation that tracked and monitored the pangolins trafficker who is experienced in the illegal business. He activated a host of small traffickers in several villages, who supplied him with pangolins scales.
4 traffickers arrested with 4 elephant tusks
Gabon, 7 Apr 20234 traffickers arrested with 4 elephant tusks. Good work of Conservation Justice with the authurities.
4 traffickers arrested with 21 tusks and 13 ivory statues
Togo, 18 Mar 20234 traffickers arrested with 21 tusks and 13 ivory statues and skins of a lion and a leopard. The arrest operation seizing 167 kg ivory was a hard one as the traffickers were extremely careful. One that tried to escape was captured in a good teamwork. The contraband was concealed in 2 grains bags found inside the boot of a vehicle.
5 traffickers arrested with 4 elephant tusks
Gabon, 14 Mar 20235 traffickers arrested with 4 elephant tusks. They were arrested during their attempts at selling the elephant tusks. 4 traffickers were arrested when they arrived the scene of transaction in a car transporting the ivory. During interrogations they denounced one more trafficker who was also arrested.
A fugitive trapped and arrested to serve his 5 years sentence
Congo, 13 Mar 2023A convicted trafficker who was sentenced to 5 years in prison in April 2022 and never returned following his release on bail during the trial, was arrested. He had been evading authorities who went all the way out with the Team’s assistance to arrest him. He shall complete his full sentence in prison. This sends a strong message to traffickers that they will be pursued and the law will be applied.
