Senegal has seized hundreds of figurines and clusters of lion and hippopotamus teeth as part of the biggest ivory haul in its history and arrested two men illegally selling the merchandise, sources involved in the operation said on Thursday. The organisation is a member of a law-enforcement network in Africa called Eco Activists for Governance and Law Enforcement (EAGLE). The Senegalese water and forestry department and police collaborated with WARA in Tuesday's operation at the Soumbedioune seaside market place which involved dozens of agents, a Senegalese official said. The stall had 780 carved items of elephant ivory weighing a total of 20 kilograms and the other animal remains from hippos, lions and warthogs weighed 23 kilograms. Separately in Benin, a tribunal sentenced two ivory traffickers to more than three years in prison on Thursday, the director of EAGLE's affiliate there said.

Source: The Star August 24, 2017 17:26 UTC