More than 100 elephant tusks have been confiscated in Cameroon

A total of 118 elephant tusks have been confiscated in Amban, in southern Cameroon, an ivory trade hotspot near the border with Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. That is reported by the Cameroon customs.

Almost 675 kilos of ivory have been seized. It is the largest catch in Cameroon in the past five years, it sounds.

The ivory, which came from Gabon, was transported in a double-bottom van, which also contained wood. The destination of the ivory was Asia. “Four smugglers, three Cameroonians, and a Gabonese were arrested,” customs said.

The small African country of Gabon is home to nearly 60 percent of the forest elephants that live in Africa. The illicit ivory trade is the third most profitable form of smuggling after narcotics and weapons.

The ivory trade is on the rise due to growing demand from Asia and the Middle East, where it is used for traditional medicine and decoration.