Two suspected traffickers, including a police officer, were arrested on 17 December in Yaoundé for the illegal possession of leopard skins.
The arrest followed an operation carried out by wildlife officials from the Centre Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife, in collaboration with the Centre Regional Division of the Judicial Police. The suspects were apprehended as they attempted to sell the skins.
They were found in the Nsimeyong neighbourhood with two leopard skins concealed in a bag. The pair are believed to be part of a trafficking ring operating between Gabon and Cameroon. One suspect, a police officer, is alleged to have used his position to provide impunity for the group. The skins had been smuggled from Gabon.
Sources close to the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the skins were still fresh upon arrival in Cameroon and were transported by one of the suspects, who is a driver. He stored the skins at his Tsinga residence for ten days to dry them in the sun before their intended sale. The operation was technically assisted by the wildlife enforcement support body, the Last Great Ape Organisation (LAGA).
Leopards are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which Cameroon is a signatory. This listing affords them the highest level of protection, prohibiting all commercial trade.
Under Cameroon’s 2024 wildlife law, if found guilty, the suspects could face imprisonment terms of up to 20 years and/or a fine of up to 50 million CFA francs.
