CI-NEWS

Batouri ivory traffickers to be convicted

2019-12-09

No: 460

Batouri ivory traffickers to be convicted.

Judgement shall be delivered against two suspected ivory traffickers by the Batouri court of first instance holding on December 17, 2019. The two were arrested last month for unlawful possession of two ivory tusks; during a crackdown operation led by the Kadey Divisional Delegation for Forestry and Wildlife working in collaboration with the gendarmerie and with technical assistance from a non-governmental organization called LAGA

The trial against the two first began on November 15 shortly after their arrest. Two court hearings have been sufficient to tackle the main issues of contention. During the first hearing the court informed the suspects of the charges brought against them and adjourned the matter. During the last hearing one of the traffickers claimed he didn’t speak French and needed a translator but was duly told he does and was requested to speak in French considering he had answered to questions in French during his interrogations shortly after his arrest. He promptly resumed speaking good French.

The two suspects aged 30 and 29 were attempting to sell the ivory tusks in Batouri after travelling from Kentzou in the East Region with the tusks wrapped in a blanket and hidden inside a travelling bag. When they arrived the town a day before their arrest, they took up lodging at a hotel and were just about succeeding in selling the tusks when they were arrested. They violently resisted arrest as the team made swift moves to subdue and handcuff the fighting pair. The bag of ivory was found hidden under the hotel bed.

Sources close to the investigations that spoke on condition of anonymity say they are part of an even bigger network based in Kentzou which is close to the border with the Central African Republic and equally located along the Bertoua to Yokadouma road. Ivory trafficking networks have developed an illegal flourishing business there. The networks control ivory trafficking from the Central African Republic and the small town serves as a collection point for ivory coming in from the neighbouring country. Ivory and pangolin scales that arrive the country are stocked there before being moved to bigger towns such as Bertoua, Yaounde and Douala.

The same sources say one of the traffickers had been twice caught with ivory tusks and released without any charges made. He was arrested in March 2019 in Yokadouma by the gendarmerie with over 250kg of ivory seized. He was released and no charges filed against him and wildlife officials who have competence over the management of such cases were never involved in the matter bringing to question what happened with the dozens of ivory tusks seized. He had equally been arrested with ivory tusks in Gamboula in the East Region and released with no charges made. When traffickers are arrested and released, they simply step up the killing and trafficking in parts of protected species to make up for what they lost in terms of bribing and products seized.

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Batouri ivory traffickers to be convicted