350 containers of protected hardwood have gone missing in Gabon and the country’s President, Ali Bongo has promised to find and prosecute those involved.
The missing items, 5,000 cubic metres of illegally felled Kevazingo was seized between February and March, they went missing at the end of April.
The demand for the Kevazingo is high in Asia, despite the ban in Gabon.
The stolen Kevazingo in the containers would have a market value of at least 140 billion CFA francs (241 million U.S. dollar), according to Emmanuel Nzue, who runs a Gabonese timber firm.