A coordinated crackdown across five African countries has led to the arrest of 34 wildlife traffickers in the first half of this year. The arrests in Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Togo were part of operations conducted under a collaboration between national governments and the EAGLE network, which assists officials in enforcing wildlife law.
The traffickers were caught trading in parts of protected species, including leopard skins and elephant tusks, as well as live hyenas. In operations across Ivory Coast, Congo, and Senegal, 16 leopard skins were seized, leading to the arrest of at least 22 individuals. Separately, nine ivory traffickers were arrested with over 21kg of tusks, representing at least nine elephants. Three live animal traffickers were also arrested in Senegal with two young hyenas.
Among those apprehended were three traffickers in Congo. Two were arrested after leopard skins were discovered carefully hidden inside a backpack in a taxi. Following their interrogation at a gendarmerie station, they provided information that led to a third arrest days later.
In a rapid series of operations in Senegal, eight more leopard traffickers were arrested with four leopard skins and a hyena skin within just three and a half hours. Three were arrested with two leopard skins concealed in a military backpack as they arrived on a motorbike to complete a transaction. Approximately two hours later, two more were arrested with a leopard skin packaged in a plastic bag and hidden within a sack of grains. An hour after that, a further two traffickers, including a Guinean national, were arrested with another leopard skin and a hyena skin. One of the individuals is suspected of having links to a local terrorist group.
Conservationists and law enforcement institutions believe the illegal trade in protected wildlife is a significant driver of species extinction in Africa. Efforts by governments and enforcement bodies to create deterrence are seen as a critical response. According to Interpol, Africa has lost 70% of its wildlife in the past 30 years.
Ofir Drori, founder of the EAGLE Network, stated, “From fighting the trafficking networks on the ground, I can say we see no signs of decline whatsoever, and rather a continued increase in levels of trafficking.” Well-organised criminal networks make it exceptionally difficult to curb the trade.
The EAGLE network, composed of NGOs including LAGA, works in collaboration with governments across Africa to strengthen the application of wildlife laws. The network is active in Cameroon (via LAGA) and six other countries—Congo, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Togo, and Uganda—working closely with authorities to combat illegal wildlife trade. Last year, the network assisted in the arrest of 90 traffickers.
