Police, UWA arrest man with154kg of ivory tusks in Nwoya

Police and Uganda Wildlife Authority have seized 154kg of elephant ivory in Nwoya District and arrested a suspected trafficker. UWA says the operation signals intensified enforcement against wildlife crime networks.

elephant tusks weighing 154 kilograms following a joint operation in Nwoya District. In the Middle is Opira Francis, the suspect arrested smuggling them

Nwoya, Uganda: Security agencies have arrested a suspected ivory trafficker in Nwoya District and recovered 154 kilograms of raw elephant ivory in a major intelligence-led operation targeting wildlife crime.

The intelligence-led operation, conducted on February 22, 2026, was carried out by the Special Wildlife Crime Unit working closely with UWA enforcement teams.

Authorities identified the suspect as Opira Francis, who was allegedly found in possession of ten pieces of raw elephant tusks at the time of arrest.

He is expected to be arraigned before the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court and charged with unlawful possession of protected wildlife specimens under the Uganda Wildlife Act Cap 315.

UWA Executive Director Dr. James Musinguzi described the seizure as a major breakthrough in the fight against wildlife crime.

“This seizure sends a strong and unequivocal message that Uganda will not tolerate wildlife crime,” Dr. Musinguzi said. “Ivory trafficking threatens our elephant populations, undermines conservation gains and fuels organized criminal networks.”

He noted that Northern Uganda has previously been exploited as a transit corridor for illegal ivory but emphasized that surveillance and intelligence operations have now been strengthened. “Anyone involved in wildlife trafficking should know that arrest, prosecution and stiff penalties are inevitable,” Dr Musinguzi warned.

The recovery of the ivory underscores the persistent threat ivory trafficking poses not only to elephant populations but also to biodiversity, tourism revenue and community livelihoods.

UWA has called on members of the public to report suspicious wildlife-related activities as it continues efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and protect Uganda’s wildlife heritage.