Northern Congo's notorious elephant poacher and ivory trafficker Daring Dissaka, 39, has been convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. Dissaka's imprisonment represents another significant step forward for the Republic of Congo's justice system and forest elephant conservation in Central Africa.
WCS's Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) has been tracking Dissaka's whereabouts closely since September 2016. After a string of successful operations, his network was finally identified and infiltrated. Later in January 2017, a WCU-informed police raid seized 70 kg of ivory in the northern logging town of Pokola. One member of the 'Daring' network was arrested at the scene, and that person promptly cited Dissaka as the owner of the ivory.
Launched in February 2016, the WCU operates within the periphery of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, supporting the park's ranger team in researching illegal activities. The WCU's legal follow-up branch consists of dedicated Congolese lawyers who track wildlife crime cases at the courts and prisons in northern Congo's two large district capitals, Ouesso and Impfondo. Since its inception, WCU investigations have directly led to 17 major convictions.
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