By Leocadia Bongben
Three people will reappear in the Ntui Court of First Instance on June 26 to answer to charges brought against them. Arrested on September 14, 2023, during a crackdown operation by wildlife officials of the Mbam and Kim Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife in collaboration with the police, the trio is accused of trafficking in pangolin scales.
The suspects were arrested with 91 kg of giant pangolin scales concealed in grain and flour bags, which they attempted to sell.
The case, last heard by the same court on May 22, was adjourned by the presiding judge to June 26, when the court is expected to pass its verdict.
The Last Great Ape Organization, also known as LAGA (wildlife law enforcement body), is providing legal assistance with procedures.
Meanwhile, a report from the Wildlife Justice Commission on pangolins from 2015 to 2024 reveals a notable decline in pangolin trafficking.
Commenting on the report, Tah Kaba Eric, the Deputy Director of LAGA, said pangolin trafficking has reduced as per the reports on the field, with fewer seizures made than in the past.
However, he underlined that trafficking is still ongoing, albeit with lesser intensity. Wildlife law enforcement is said to play an important role in the decline. The Wildlife Justice Commission on pangolins serves as a call to law enforcement bodies and lawmakers to strengthen efforts to deter pangolin trafficking.
It is within the framework of the government’s collaboration with its non-governmental partners in protecting pangolins that the traffickers were arrested and are being prosecuted according to the stipulations of the 2024 wildlife law that now governs the sector