15kg of ivory was seized and a network of traffickers of bad reputation was intercepted. This is the booty of a joint mission of the Makokou Procuratorate, the National Gendarmerie of the Judicial Police, and the NGO Conservation Justice on the Makokou Okondja-axis. The ivory tusks seized were taken from freshly slaughtered adult elephants.
Michael Asante and Foster Yéboah, both of Ghanaian citizenship, and Felix Elombouyé, Gabon, had been wanted for months. Cited by many traders, they were a major network behind major massacres of elephants in Ogooué-Ivindo in eastern Gabon.
On March 10, 2016, everything started. Following information received, an onboard team in two cars went to the Makokou Okondja-axis. This team had in its ranks the prosecutor and several OPJs stationed in the provincial offices of the PJ and GENA.
After traveling 60 km, the team came across a Toyota vehicle registered CZ-745-AA 10 km and then decided to follow it. After 20 km, the suspected Toyota vehicle stopped and willingly gave way to the vehicle carrying the prosecutor. But the prosecutor refused to pass. Rather, he invited the Toyota to stay in front.
Curiously, the suspect vehicle, after all of this back and forth, chose to make a U-turn and head back toward Makokou-Okondja, a choice that confirmed the suspicions of the Prosecutor’s team who followed him to catch up. In a few minutes, the passengers had been screened and their luggage searched.
After the search, Michael Asante, Foster Yéboah, and Felix Elombouyé were arrested. The three men were caught with the offense of possessing and transporting trophies of a protected species. They had with them 15 kg of ivory. The apprehended product was intended to be sold in Makokou. They had drawn 1,200,000 CFA at 80,000 CFA a kilogram of ivory.
After some questioning, they talked. Michael Asante, Foster Yéboah, and Felix Elombouye acknowledged having killed elephants in the village of Zolendé, a little over 100 km from Makokou. Mwagna National Park is located not far from this town, and it’s known as a center of great trafficking of products of fully protected species.
The three men were brought back to Makokou and kept in the jails of the detective police forces which, having heard their confession, went, on the order of the leader of the OPJ, to the village of Zolendé for a house search. The search led to the arrest of two other complicit accomplices but also to the seizure of three 12-caliber guns and one 458-caliber gun.
All of the accused have been arrested and are held in custody. The Makokou judicial police are now awaiting their arraignment before the prosecutor. This is the second catch of this size in less than two weeks. Earlier this month, the gendarme of Cape Esterias got its hands on illegal immigrants who owned about 200 kg of ivory. These arrived by river. Ivindo serves many illegal immigrants from Congo and Cameroon, and is a safe haven for potentially clandestine trafficking, given its peace and tranquility.
http://www.gabonews.com/fr/