LAMBARENÉ, August 23 (AGP)- The investigations carried out as part of the dismantling of international ivory trafficking from Gabon to Cameroon led to the arrest of five alleged traffickers on August 8, 9 and 10 in Lambaréné and Sindra 1.
Four alleged traffickers were indicted last Friday for transnational ivory trafficking. The investigations were continued by officers from the judicial police branch of Ogooué, those from the provincial directorate of Waters and Forests of the same province, and from the directorate for the fight against poaching, with the support of Conservation Justice . These investigations revealed the involvement of five other members of the organization.
Following the operation that immediately followed that of Lambaréné, a trafficker responsible for recovering ivory in the province of Ogooué-Ivindo was arrested on 11 August. Subsequently, on August 17 and 18, four other people were arrested.
The operation took place in two phases: first, the person responsible for collecting ivory in Makokou, a trader, was apprehended, then four suppliers were successively arrested in Mohoba, Mbela, Zoolendé and Bakeba-Bakouaka .
When questioned, the trader admitted to collaborating with one of the network managers, responsible for transporting the ivory tusks to the Cameroun in a recent transaction.
“As an ivory salesman in the Ogooué-Ivindo area, as soon as there is a stock available, I contact my accomplice who has a vehicle with a secret compartment dedicated to transporting ivory from Gabon. to Cameroon. The latter joins me in Makokou and we go to the villages located on the Makokou-Okondja road axis to recover the stocks of ivory from the village suppliers. Once the transactions have been carried out, the accomplice transporter leaves Makokou for another destination, either for another place of recovery of ivorywith another canvasser, or for delivery in Cameroon to the head of the organization”.
ANM/FE
