On April 3, 2023, the Uganda Wildlife Crime Unit (UWCU) led a multi-agency operation that resulted in the arrest of 3 suspects who were trafficking hippo teeth in the investigation known as Operation MERCURY. During the search, 134 hippo teeth were found and seized. NOTE: It is estimated that poachers obtain 8 teeth per dead hippo, which represents approximately 20 hippos that died for these traffickers. Because of aggressive public interferrence, the officers were unable to search the premises of the main trafficker.