Conserv Congo

Kinshasa: Major Breakthrough as Lion Skin Trafficking Network Dismantled

In a coordinated operation conducted this evening in Kinshasa, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), working alongside the Matete Judicial Police and supported technically and financially by Conserv Congo, successfully arrested three suspects involved in the illegal sale of a lion skin.

The suspects were apprehended in flagrante delicto during a controlled operation following weeks of intelligence-led investigation.
This intervention is directly linked to a previous seizure of a lion skin less than a month ago. Through sustained investigative efforts, authorities were able to trace additional actors within the same criminal network, leading to today’s arrests.

The operation involved undercover infiltration, allowing investigators to gain the trust of traffickers, confirm the availability of the wildlife product, and coordinate a secure arrest at the point of transaction.
The lion, a protected species under Congolese law and international conventions such as CITES, continues to be targeted by organized criminal networks driven by illicit profit.
This case once again highlights:
The growing sophistication of wildlife trafficking networks.

The importance of intelligence-led enforcement
The effectiveness of collaboration between law enforcement and specialized conservation actors
Authorities reaffirm their commitment to ensuring that all individuals involved in wildlife crime are identified, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Investigations are ongoing to identify additional members of the network and possible links to other wildlife trafficking activities.
Wildlife crime is organized crime- and it will be treated as such

Aujourd’hui, Journée internationale des forêts.
Pour nous à Conserv Congo Youth, ce n’est pas juste une date. C’est un rappel de ce qu’on a devant nous comme responsabilité.
Les forêts du Congo, on les connaît. On sait leur valeur. Mais on voit aussi les menaces, la pression, et parfois le manque d’action.
En tant que jeunes, on ne veut pas rester spectateurs. On s’organise, on s’engage, on apprend et on agit, même avec peu de moyens.
Ce n’est pas parfait, mais c’est réel.
Protéger les forêts, ce n’est pas pour plus t**d. C’est maintenant.

Conserv Congo Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office