Wildlife officials arrested two people who have been charged in Djoum following the seizure of 216 ivory tusks and 81 elephant tails from the car of a gendarmerie colonel on December 11, 2017

The two were charged with illegal detention and commercialization of protected wildlife species and are to appear in court on December 19, 2017. The colonel whose car contained the ivory was ferried to Yaounde with the ivory tusks that was handed over to the Ministry of Forestry and wildlife.

Following the arrest of the two that included the driver and a suspected ivory trafficker who were transporting the contraband, wildlife officials immediately set to ensure the judicial process of prosecuting the traffickers was followed according the law governing the sector. The two were interrogated at the Djoum gendarmerie brigade and a complaint report established by wildlife officials. The matter was immediately forwarded to the Djoum state counsel. The entire legal procedure is technically assisted by LAGA, a wildlife law enforcement support body.

Some conservationists say the presence of a military vehicle in yet another wildlife trafficking case is disturbing and may finally buttress accusations by some investigative reports of the suspicious role played by some unruly military people in wildlife trafficking in the country and the sub region. This may be indicating a trend that is yet to be uncovered and those involved prosecuted. In 2014, at a control post in Nsimalen 185 ivory tusks were seized from another military vehicle.

According to Ofir Drori, the Founder and Director of the EAGLE Network, a network that groups wildlife law enforcement organisations in several countries, speaking from his Nairobi residence shortly after news came in on the arrests and seizure declared, “wildlife officials did a very commendable job considering the involvement of the military” while further insisting that “the judicial process in prosecuting all those involved should be strictly followed.

According to the 1994 wildlife law, anyone found in possession of whole or part of a protected wildlife species is considered to have killed or captured the animal and is liable to a prison term of up to 3 years and or a fine of up to 10 million francs. The law further stipulates that the punishment is doubled when the offence is committed by a law enforcement officer. This may be deterring enough, most especially for those involved in trafficking in the Djoum area which is considered to be an ivory trafficking hotspot in the country and suspicions are rife on involvement of some officials there.

The situation is even more complicated considering the increasing rate at which elephants are killed for their ivory and the fact that some of the wildlife parks in the country are guarded by the military. The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife may finally be coming to grasp with the situation and attacking the issues head on considering the seriousness with the arrest and prosecution have been handled at senior levels within the ministry.