Activity report May 2020
Covid-19 pandemic continues but the LAGA team keeps pushing forward. The month was marked by the arrest of 7 traffickers with 2 ivory tusks and human bones.
During investigations into wildlife trafficking in the West Region, leads were found into human bones trafficking and this resulted in the arrest of 4 traffickers with an almost complete human skeleton that still had dried up flesh on the bones and a human skull with hair on it. Further investigation by the gendarmerie led to the arrest of a 4th trafficker. The 4 belong to a larger network that was specialized in trafficking human bones. They had connections to other countries of the sub-region and seem to be able to supply dozens of human bones. Often investigations of wildlife traffickers lead to other connected crimes.
3 traffickers operating as a small group trafficking ivory were arrested with 2 ivory tusks weighing 26kg. The 3 including two men and a woman were very cautious in their dealings and transactions but were arrested as they attempted to sell the ivory.
