Three alleged wildlife traffickers are facing charges before the High Court in Yokadouma after being arrested with more than 700 kilogrammes of pangolin scales during a major crackdown on wildlife crime.
The suspects were arrested on 5 May by the Boumba & Ngoko Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife, in collaboration with the Gendarmerie and with technical assistance from LAGA, a wildlife law-enforcement organisation.
According to preliminary findings, the three men are allegedly part of a wider wildlife crime network operating across Cameroon and extending into Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, the Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea.
Investigators believe the suspects specialised in the illegal trade in pangolin scales, collecting and stockpiling them over time while allegedly disguising their activities as the trading of non-timber forest products.
The seizure of more than 700kg of scales highlights the scale of the illegal pangolin trade in the country. Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals in the world, with their populations under severe pressure from poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.
Cameroon is home to three pangolin species – the white-bellied, black-bellied and giant pangolins. All three are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, reflecting the growing conservation concerns surrounding the animals.
Following the arrests in May, the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife condemned the continued killing of pangolins and reaffirmed the Government’s determination to combat their illegal exploitation and trade.
The case is currently being investigated by an examining magistrate in Yokadouma. If convicted under Cameroon’s 2024 wildlife legislation, the suspects could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to FCFA 50 million.
The case is the latest in a series of enforcement operations targeting wildlife trafficking networks involved in the illegal exploitation of protected species in Cameroon’s forest regions.
