3 major ape traffickers arrested with 372 kg of pangolin scales

They have been trafficking chimpanzees since at least 2010, and a part of a transnational criminal network. They trafficked out of Africa gorillas, chimps, bonobos, and African grey Parrots , and manatees among other protected species. To facilitate the exports, they worked with other international traffickers from countries including Germany, Japan, Indonesia, Turkey, Malaysia and Russia.The pangolin scales representing more than 1,000 killed pangolins were trafficked from Liberia. The traffickers were already planning their next deal of elephant tusks and almost one ton of pangolin scales coming from the same stock.The traffickers shared several price lists for protected species, with other members of their criminal network. The live animals they trafficked originated from Nigeria, DRC, The Gambia and Sierra Leone among others.The traffickers were also connected to Guinea's former wildlife director and CITES authority, Ansoumane Doumbouya, who was arrested by EAGLE in 2015 for trafficking CITES permits and for his extensive involvement in illegal wildlife trade. Following Doumbouya's imprisonment , the traffickers have remained in contact with several other corrupt CITES officials supplying export permits of Mali, Togo and Egypt.The 3 traffickers are connected to at least seven other major wildlife traffickers who have been arrested and imprisoned by EAGLE in recent years.Great work of Antonia and her team with the Special Service against Organized Crime.