A Nigerian man was arrested in Bertoua in the East region
of Cameroon over illegal marketing of ivory and pangolin scales. The
43-year-old man was arrested this week in an operation conducted by agents of
the Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife of the East in collaboration
with the police. The Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA) provided
technical assistance during the operation.
The man was on board a taxi with suspicious packages
hidden in a trunk; when he stopped, he got out and headed to a bar, he was
surrounded by wildlife officers. Azemte Mbemo Alain Patrick, the head of
the regional department of the Eastern fauna, is the man who led the operation.
"The suspect hired a taxi and headed for the place
of the transaction with a client when he was arrested. He tried to resist, but
was quickly neutralized by the gendarmerie that helped us and was immediately
taken to our offices. This operation was carried out through collaboration with
LAGA a nongovernmental organization that helps us dismantle the wildlife
trafficking network." said Patrick.
He was found in possession of five bags containing 12
ivory tusks and more than 200 kg of giants pangolin scales that are wildlife
species protected under the 1994 Act of wildlife. According Azemte Mbemo, the
man is known by the judicial police and is believed to have been involved in
wildlife trafficking since 2013. He was born in Bertoua and control the area
very well. He used an auto parts store sales as a cover to conceal his illegal
activities, but rarely had this shop auto parts.
His main customers are Chinese buyers and had a Chinese
contact list and names that indicate the extent of his business and professionalism.
According to sources close to the file, he buys the
products from poachers in the East, but also in Congo and Gabon, and then resells
them to Chinese and Nigerian buyers, he also exports these products to Nigeria.
Buyers come from Yaounde and Douala. According to reliable
sources, he would own a nearby storeroom at Garoua Boulai where he keeps
products.
The illegal trade in pangolin scales is becoming a huge
problem for wildlife officers and in order to halt this situation, the Minister
of Forestry and Wildlife, Ngole Ngwese Philip, had signed a circular
letter in June 2013, suspending all licensing authorizing the movement of
pangolin species in the country. the law enforcement concentrated to hinder
trade and this operation is one of many that have been conducted in the last
two years as part of the agreement signed between the Ministry of Forestry and
Wildlife and The Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA)
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