A notorious pangolin trader along the Accra-Kumasi highway is in the grips of the police over his infamous business.
The trader, believed to be in his thirties was arrested by the Nkawkaw Police Command for selling the endangered specie.
At the time of his arrest, he was caught selling the tree pangolin which is one of the eight surviving species of pangolins, and is native to equatorial Africa.
The Accra-Kumasi highway is one of Ghana’s hotspots for pangolin trade.
On three occasions, the suspect had been cautioned by Environmental CSO, A Rocha Ghana.
He had received education about his illegal trade which he had promised to stop.
But on Saturday, January 23, 2021, luck eluded the suspect when he appeared along the highway to engage in his usual illegal business of selling pangolin.
He had in his possession two huge pangolins, but at the time of his arrest, he had sold one, while attempting to sell the other to a customer.
A team led by the Deputy National Director for A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu arrested him and handed him over to the police at Nkawkaw.
“From my many trips on the highway, I already identified the man as a notorious trader in pangolins and on a previous occasion when the same person was confronted selling pangolins, he promised not to sell again after he had been educated of its protected nature”, he said.
“Seeing him by the road side again, I subsequently reached out to the nearest Forestry Commission Check Point, where two Officers were detailed to confiscate the pangolins. When we got there, the trader had already sold one of the pangolins and was in the process of selling this one to a traveler in a private car,” Mr. Bosu said.
The remaining pangolin was, however, ceased and on Monday evening, released back into the Atewa forest range.
About pangolins
According to Ghana’s Wildlife Conservation Regulation 1971, pangolins are completely protected and the hunting, capturing or destroying of any of their species is absolutely prohibited at all times.
This means, anyone who contravenes any provision of the regulations shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine or imprisonment or to both.
Additionally, the international trade in pangolins for commercial purposes are prohibited by law under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Despite these laws protecting the endangered species of pangolin, some individuals in Ghana continue to engage in the illicit trade.
His arrest comes ahead of the World Pangolin Day in February.
The worldwide celebration of the pangolin is aimed at raising awareness of its importance and plight.
The day, which is celebrated every third Saturday of February annually brings together Global citizens, organizations, businesses, and governments on the need to protect this unique mammal, and now the most trafficked animal, from going extinct.
Pangolins are the only scaly mammals on earth. Found in parts of Africa and Asia, they are uniquely adapted to eating ants with a tremendously long tongue that can reach deep into ant hills.
Pangolins play a very important role in the ecosystems by controlling insect population – which are also important to keeping soils fertile – eating up to 70 million ants a year.
When frightened, a pangolin will curl up into a tight ball to protect its tender underside, making it a prime target for illegal poachers.
These mammals are in high demand for their scales which have high medicinal values and for fashion purposes.
The high demand for pangolins has threatened its population, reducing it drastically in the wild.
