( CNN ) -- Authorities in Gabon have arrested five people for dealing in illegal animal parts , which included the heads of a gorilla and 12 chimpanzees , according to Conservation Justice , a wildlife preservation group . `` This is the first time 13 ape heads were confiscated , '' Luc Mathot , the president of Conservation Justice , said Friday . Along with the heads , two hands from gorillas and 30 from chimps were seized . In addition , 12 leopard skins , a partial lion skin , snake skins and 5 elephant tails were confiscated . Mathot said he was present when the animal parts were laid out at the Forces of Order station in Libreville on January 14 , the day after the raid . The five suspects -- a woman from Benin and four men from Nigeria -- were arrested on January 13 in Gabon 's capital , Libreville , and have been charged with wildlife crimes for dealing in illegal animal parts , according to Mathot . They could face up to 6 months in jail if convicted , according to Mathot . Other African nations like Cameroon and Congo have stiffer penalties for trafficking -- up to five years . Their next hearing is January 25 . Authorities in Gabon worked with the AALF -- an organization developed by Conservation Justice to fight against the trafficking of protected wildlife in Central Africa -- in the operation . `` WWF commends the Water and Forest Ministry and AALF for this important arrest , '' David Greer , a great ape manager for the World Wildlife Fund , said in a statement Wednesday . `` However , the massive collection of protected species confiscated in this operation is highly disturbing . '' `` Putting these dealers behind bars probably has a direct impact on the lives of hundreds of chimps and gorillas , '' Mathot said .
Authorities confiscated parts from gorillas , chimps , leopards and more . five suspects are being held in Libreville 's capital , Gabon . If convicted , they could receive January 25 in jail . Their next hearing is up to six months .