Two Suspected Ivory Traffickers Arrested in Dolisie (Republic of the Congo)

Author(s)

VOX

Date Published

Translated from the French by an automated online translation service, so please excuse the roughness. See link for original.

See link for photo. 

They are two traffickers of Congolese nationality (40 and 28 years old) arrested on 29 August in Dolisie, Niari, by agents of the departmental department of Forestry and the national gendarmerie thanks to information and support from the Wildlife Enforcement Support Project. 

 
They were caught red-handed with eight ivory points cut into 21 pieces. The whole made about 45 kg. These individuals would be large traders of ivory whose source of supply of these products would be Gabon. One of these accused would be the supplier and the other a driver transporting these ivories from the district of Banda to Dolisie, the city where the sale should be made to potential customers. 

The two arrested offenders acknowledged the allegations against them, namely the detention, transit and attempted marketing of 21 pieces of ivory, or eight ivory points, representing about five killed elephants. They will be brought to the Dolisie Prison awaiting trial in which they are held accountable to the Congolese courts. They face up to five years’ imprisonment.

This arrest reflects the Congo’s commitment to protecting its natural resources in accordance with the laws regulating this sector. This will of the Congo was once again demonstrated in 2015 at the International Conference on the Illegal Exploitation and Illicit Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora of Africa held in Brazzaville. Congolese President Denis Sassou N’Guesso and his Chadian counterpart Idriss Debyitno witnessed the destruction by fire of a fraudulent stock of five tons of ivory points.

Given the scale of the pressure on elephants, the involvement of all to report traffickers to the competent authorities and the rigorous enforcement of the Congolese law on wildlife crime become very important actions in the fight against poaching and wildlife trafficking. The elephant is part of the fully protected species in the Republic of Congo. Article 27 of Act No. 37-2008 of 28 November 2008 on wildlife and protected areas provides: “importation; export; the possession and transit through the national territory of fully protected species; as well as their trophies are strictly prohibited; unless special derogation from the administration of water and forests; for the purposes of scientific research”.