East Region: Three traffickers arrested in Yokadouma, over 700kg of Pangolin scales seized.

The huge quantity of Pangolin scales confiscated from the individuals is said to have been concealed in a carpentry workshop at the center of Yokadouma. Two motorcycles used in the trafficking operation were also seized.

The arrest was carried out by the Boumba and Ngoko Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife in collaboration with the gendarmerie, with technical assistance from LAGA, a wildlife law enforcement support body. 

The suspects were apprehended while weighing bags of pangolin scales during a raid following a long‑standing investigation. Sources that request for anonymity say the traffickers, specialists in pangolin scale trafficking, had collected and stockpiled the scales over time, disguising their activities under the trade of non‑timber forest products. 

We gathered that their network extended across several regions and into neighboring countries including the Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. 

Sources say they were capable of moving large shipments to major cities such as Yaoundé, Douala, and Bertoua. One of their concealment methods involved hiding pangolin scales among pepper bags to mask the scent.

The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife has denounced the massacre of pangolins and reaffirmed its determination to combat the emerging pangolin scale trade. 

The ministry highlighted the importance of collaboration with LAGA and other partners in fighting wildlife crime. According to the Director of LAGA, Ofir Drori, an estimated 2,300 pangolins must have been slaughtered to provide of the seized scales. 

Cameroon is home to three pangolin species – the white‑bellied pangolin, black‑bellied pangolin, and giant pangolin – all of which are fully protected. 

Possession or trafficking of pangolin scales carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years under the 2024 wildlife law. Pangolins are consumed locally as bush meat, while their scales are trafficked internationally, mainly to China and Southeast Asia.