The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has officially taken over 8.86 tonnes of illegal wildlife products that had been confiscated at Entebbe International Airport and stored by the Aviation Police for more than a decade.
The handover marks a significant step in Ugandaโs ongoing fight against wildlife trafficking and the protection of endangered species. The inventory and verification exercise commenced on May 19, 2026, under the leadership of UWA Assistant Commissioner for Law Enforcement, Margaret Kasumba.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony on Friday, Superintendent of Police Irene Mugoya, representing the Commandant of Aviation Police, said the exhibits were seized between 2011 and 2025 through coordinated operations involving Aviation Police, UWA, and other security agencies.
โThe wildlife contraband includes ivory, both raw and worked, pangolin scales, rhino horns, hippopotamus teeth, as well as skins, lion teeth, and ostrich eggshells,โ Mugoya said.
She revealed that wildlife traffickers employed increasingly sophisticated methods to evade detection, underscoring the complexity of the illegal trade.
โIt is important to note that some of these items were concealed in tins labelled as shea butter in an attempt to avoid detection, highlighting the sophistication of wildlife trafficking networks,โ she explained.
According to Mugoya, enhanced airport security measures have significantly reduced large-scale wildlife trafficking attempts in recent years. She credited the deployment of the canine unit in 2018 and strengthened surveillance systems for the decline in major seizures.
โDue to strengthened security measures, including the deployment of the canine unit in 2018, no seizures of such magnitude have since been recorded at the airport,โ she noted.
The transfer of the exhibits was also necessitated by growing storage challenges faced by Aviation Police, which had been holding the confiscated wildlife products for years.
โI extend my sincere appreciation to the Executive Director of UWA for responding positively to our request to take over these exhibits, especially in light of the limited storage space at Aviation Police, where even designated facilities had to be repurposed for storage,โ Mugoya said.
The handover reflects the strong collaboration between conservation and security agencies in combating wildlife crime, while reinforcing Ugandaโs commitment to protecting its natural heritage and preserving vulnerable wildlife species from illegal exploitation.
