Cameroon Court: 3 Prosecuted for Pangolin Scale Trafficking

In May, three alleged traffickers were apprehended by the Departmental Delegation of Forests and Wildlife of Boumba-et-Ngoko, in collaboration with the National Gendarmerie and with technical support from LAGA, in East Cameroon, for illegal trafficking of over 700 kilograms of pangolin scales, and are now facing prosecution before the High Court of Yokadouma. This significant operation, part of a broader crackdown on wildlife crime, targeted individuals believed to be part of an extensive network operating across Central Africa, including Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea. The suspects allegedly specialized in the illegal trade of pangolin scales, which they collected and stored while attempting to conceal their activities under the guise of non-timber forest product commerce.