By Swift Reporter
More than 8.8 tonnes of illegal wildlife products confiscated at Entebbe International Airport over the past 14 years have exposed the scale and sophistication of wildlife trafficking networks operating through Uganda, authorities have revealed.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) on Friday officially took custody of 8,857.84 kilogrammes of wildlife contraband that had been stored by Aviation Police since 2011 following seizures made during anti-trafficking operations at the country’s busiest airport.
The stockpile includes thousands of kilogrammes of elephant ivory, nearly two tonnes of pangolin scales, dozens of rhino horns, hippo teeth, crocodile products, lion teeth, tortoise shells, and other wildlife parts destined for illegal markets.
Officials say the recovered exhibits paint a troubling picture of the demand driving international wildlife crime and the lengths traffickers go to evade detection.
“It is important to note that some of these items were concealed in tins labelled as shea butter in an attempt to evade detection, highlighting the sophistication of wildlife trafficking networks,” said Superintendent of Police Irene Mugoya while handing over the exhibits on behalf of the Aviation Police Commandant.
According to UWA, ivory accounted for the largest share of the confiscated products, with authorities recovering 6,697.17 kilogrammes of both raw and worked ivory. The consignment also included 48 rhino horns weighing 111.75 kilogrammes and 1,980.2 kilogrammes of pangolin scales, one of the world’s most trafficked wildlife products.
The handover followed a lengthy verification exercise that began in May and involved multiple inventories to ensure every exhibit was accounted for.
Ms Margaret Kasumba, UWA’s Assistant Commissioner for Law Enforcement and Operations, said the agency relied on a digital wildlife products management system that stores photographs, measurements and unique identifying features of each exhibit.
“We took a lot of time doing this because we wanted to be sure that whatever was kept here is actually there,” Kasumba said. “Our inventory system was able to indicate that whatever we kept here has been recovered.”
The successful verification confirmed that all exhibits seized since 2011 remained intact despite being stored for more than a decade.
Authorities attributed the decline in major wildlife seizures at Entebbe Airport in recent years to strengthened security measures, particularly the deployment of specialized canine units in 2018.
“Due to strengthened security measures, including the deployment of the canine unit, no seizures of such magnitude have since been recorded at the airport,” Mugoya noted.
The transfer was also driven by logistical challenges faced by Aviation Police, which had struggled to accommodate the growing volume of exhibits.
Officials praised the cooperation between security agencies, describing it as a key factor in disrupting wildlife trafficking routes that use Uganda as a transit point.
With the handover complete, UWA will now manage the exhibits in accordance with national wildlife laws and international conservation agreements. Most of the products originate from species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which generally requires wildlife products obtained through illegal trade to be destroyed.
Kasumba said decisions regarding the final disposal of the exhibits will depend on the status of ongoing court cases and guidance from higher authorities.
For conservationists, however, the mountain of confiscated wildlife products serves as a stark reminder of the continued threat facing endangered species across Africa and the critical role played by law enforcement agencies in protecting them from extinction.
“We continue to work together as a team of security personnel in Uganda to conserve our wildlife for generations,” Kasumba said.
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