On the Trail - Robin des Bois

(about 16,000 US$ per kg). The agreement between
the 2 men included a compensation of US$ 8,123
per year of imprisonment if Wang was arrested and
condemned. The 2 men will be prosecuted for illegal
buy and smuggling of protected species products.
They risk up to 10 years imprisonment. Mr
Wu wished to enhance his furniture with ivory.
Man sentenced to 5 years prison term for ivory
trafficking
Ewo, Department of Western Cuvette, Republic
of Congo
July 15, 2013
In the dilapidated courthouse in Ewo took place
the animated trial of 37 year old Ghislain Ngondjo,
known as Pepito. Suspected of being the god-father
of ivory trafficking in the area of the Odzala-Kokoua
National Park in North- West Congo, Pepito, sure of
himself and prosperous has hired the services of 2
lawyers from Brazzaville. His many supporters, present
at the hearings, gave their own version of support,
mainly death threats aimed at the witnesses
and applause when one of his lawyers castigated
foreign influences in management of the national
park.
Nevertheless, Pepito, his lawyers and his clan were
severely shaken when on the second day of trial,
6 witnesses presenting themselves as former poachers
denounced him as the leader of the network
and provider of the necessary arsenal to track down
and kill elephants. A seventh witness, former Ecoguard
and provider of information to Pepito, also
testify for the prosecution. Ghislain Ngondjo had
been arrested on April 23 this year on a warrant
of arrest issued by the Ewo county attorney. After
2 weeks of trial the judges sentenced him to a 5
year prison term, the maximum sentence, and he
was immediately transferred 600km from Ewo to a
secure prison in Brazzaville.
3 men condemned for illegal possession of ivory
Harare, Zimbabwe
July 16, 2013
They had been arrested on January 12 th 2013 with
the help of a tip off. The car in which the seizure
took place was parked in Harare, in front of a shopping
centre. In their possession were 18 elephant
tusks (35kg). The value is estimated at US$ 8,800.
The tusks origin appears to be the Chikata area,
near Guruve north of the country. Details about
the sentencing are unknown. The average weight
of the tusks seems to be 2kg. They were therefore
removed from elephant calves.
4 people convicted for trafficking in protected
species
Djoum, Southeast Region, Cameroon
July 16, 2013
2 men were sentenced to 2 years in prison, their
accomplices to a year. They were arrested in September
2012 for possession of elephant meat and
human bones. The investigation could not prove
that the bones were the result of murder. They have
been convicted of trafficking in elephant parts, desecration
of grave and burial site.
Seizure of 583 ivory items (34 kg)
Macau, China
July 17 th 2013
The sleuths custom officers at Macau airport were
not tricked by the 2 South African tourists. The
chocolate bars in 15 heavy boxes were in fact ivory
bars coated with a tenacious chocolate color paint.
It took soaking the fake candy in hot water to peel
the coating and bring to light the fraud : 34 kg of
ivory. The seizure is estimated at US$ 72,500.
© Imagine China
Death of 2 officers from the Kenya Wildlife
Service
Kipini Wildlife and Botanical Conservancy, Tana
River County, Kenya
July 18, 2013
2 officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service were killed
by poachers during 2 separate shoot outs. One
ranger fell during the first shoot out when in the
heart of the forest his team ran into a gang of poachers
hunting down an elephant. The second incident
occurred when the rangers reinforced by police
were trying to recover the body of their friend.
The poachers had remained in the vicinity and ambushed
the rangers and police. The unit commanding
officer fell. The bodies were eventually sent to
Nairobi. At the scene of the crime, in the Tana River
County, 400 km from the capital city, hundreds of
cartridges and an AK47 were found. A poacher also
died during the shoot outs.
On The Trail # 2. Robin des Bois
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