One hundred and eighteen elephant tusks were seized in Ambam, in southern Cameroon, a hotbed of ivory trafficking near the border with Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, Jean-Claude Ekoube told AFP on Friday. , responsible for the communication of Cameroonian customs.
With nearly 675 kilos recovered, "
this seizure is the largest in Cameroon in terms of quantity for five years,
" he said.
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The ivory, coming from Gabon, was transported in a double-bottom van, also carrying wood, according to a report on Cameroonian state television.
He was then to travel to Asia, according to Cameroonian customs.
“
Four traffickers, three Cameroonians and one Gabonese, were arrested with this cargo,
” said Ekoube.
Gabon, a small country in Central Africa, is home to nearly 60% of the forest elephants that survive in Africa.
The illegal ivory trade is the third most profitable form of trafficking after drugs and weapons.
The traffic is fueled by strong demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks are used in traditional medicine and ornamentation, despite a moratorium on its international trade decided in 1989. Ivory can be resold until 'at 7000 euros per kilo.