Caught Red-Handed: Man Arrested with 154kg of Elephant Ivory in Nwoya in UWA led Operation

A suspected ivory trafficker is in custody after security agencies seized 154 kilograms of raw elephant ivory in Nwoya District, in one of the latest enforcement actions targeting wildlife crime in northern Uganda.

Opiro Francis was picked up on February 22 while found in possession of ten pieces of raw elephant tusks. He will be charged with unlawful possession of protected wildlife specimens under the Uganda Wildlife Act Cap 315 and produced before the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court for prosecution.

The operation was carried out jointly by the Special Wildlife Crime Unit and the Uganda Police Force, and was driven by intelligence gathered ahead of the arrest.

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi said the arrest was a reflection of the country’s zero-tolerance position on wildlife crime. “This seizure sends a clear and firm message that Uganda will not tolerate wildlife crime. Ivory trafficking is a serious offence that threatens our elephant populations, undermines conservation gains, and fuels organised criminal networks operating across borders,” he said.

Dr. Musinguzi pointed to the quality of inter-agency work behind the arrest. “The success of this operation reflects the strength of intelligence-driven enforcement and close coordination between Uganda Wildlife Authority and security agencies. We remain fully committed to dismantling wildlife trafficking networks wherever they operate.”

He also took aim at traffickers who have long used northern Uganda as a corridor for moving illegal ivory. “Northern Uganda has been exploited by traffickers as a transit route for illegal ivory, but our enforcement presence is stronger than ever. Anyone involved in wildlife trafficking should know that arrest, prosecution, and stiff penalties are inevitable.”

UWA noted that ivory trafficking does far more damage than poaching statistics suggest. Beyond the direct threat to elephant populations, wildlife crime chips away at national security, weakens tourism revenues, and undercuts the livelihoods of communities that depend on Uganda’s protected areas.

The Authority called on the public to play their part by reporting any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities, saying that protecting Uganda’s wildlife heritage is a shared responsibility that extends beyond government agencies alone.