Seven individuals are at risk of spending the remainder of their lives behind bars if convicted, following their arrest for the alleged possession of an unspecified amount of ivory. The arrests were made during an ongoing operation conducted by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force in the Kamdini sub-county, Oyam district.
The apprehended suspects were found in possession of elephant tusks in Apala B village, Juma Parish, Kamdini sub-county. Apala B LC1 chairperson, Bonny Omara, confirmed the arrests but could not provide the identities of the suspects. The arrests took place on a Wednesday morning, and surprisingly, Omara’s office was not informed of the operation.
James Peter Ewau, the warden in charge of Karuma Wildlife Reserve in Murchison Falls National Game Park, revealed that the matter is still under investigation. He emphasized that disclosing further details at this stage might compromise the ongoing investigation. Ewau mentioned that additional information would be available as the police and wildlife authorities follow leads to uncover potential accomplices in a wider ivory trade racket.
Despite Uganda having stringent penalties for those involved in poaching and illegal ivory trade, the country continues to grapple with these issues. The arrests highlight the persistent challenges in curbing such activities, reflecting the need for continuous efforts to address wildlife crimes.
In a notable precedent on October 20, 2022, the Standards, Utilities, and Wildlife Court issued a life sentence for the first time to an illegal ivory dealer, Pascal Ochiba. Ochiba was convicted for unlawful possession of protected species, specifically holding two pieces of elephant ivory weighing 9.55kg without a wildlife use permit. The court argued that leaving individuals like Ochiba in circulation poses an increased risk to endangered species, reinforcing the severity of penalties in place for such offenses.
