Three Suspects Arrested in Adjumani for Illicit Wild Coffee Harvest in Zoka Forest

Security forces in Adjumani District have apprehended three suspects following an intelligence-led operation targeting the illegal harvesting and trade of wild coffee within the protected Zoka Forest reserve.

According to the North-West Nile Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr. Collins Asea, the crackdown began on the night of November 1, 2026. Acting on a tip-off that illegal harvesters were sneaking produce through Oluyi Village to supply buyers at Apaa Trading Centre, officers intercepted a man carrying a sack of wild coffee at a military checkpoint.

Interrogation of the initial suspect led security personnel to a broader purchasing network. A subsequent joint raid resulted in the recovery of nine additional bags of dried, unprocessed coffee. The two newly implicated suspects, identified as Wandera Alimasi and Abane Christopher from Kyankwanzi, reportedly confessed to buying the produce from individuals who harvested it directly from the forest.

The trio is currently being held at Apaa Police Post as the Uganda Police Force works alongside the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to dismantle wider illicit networks operating within the reserve.

Zoka Central Forest Reserve, situated in Itirikwa Sub-county, is famously recognized as northern Uganda’s sole remaining natural tropical rainforest. Spanning 14 square miles, the ecological sanctuary has faced mounting pressure in recent years from rampant encroachment, illegal timber logging, and unauthorized agricultural activities that threaten its fragile biodiversity.

Read more details on the Daily Monitor.