Agent summoned over ivory haul

By Linah Benyawa

MOMBASA; KENYA: A clearing and forwarding agent has been summoned to give information on the seized ivory at the Mombasa Port.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Regional Co-ordinator Fatuma Yusuf said detectives have ordered Three Ways Freighters to record a statement regarding the Sh100 million smuggled ivory seized last Tuesday. 

The agent purported to have cleared the illegal cargo for export.

“Detectives have summoned the clearing agent to record a statement and give details about the 40 foot container recovered at the port carrying about 638 pieces of ivory,” Yusuf said On Friday.

She claimed the agent used fraudulent documents to get the cargo into the port, but added that KRA is still investigating to establish the exporters arguing the details are not clear because of the fake clearing documents.

“Nobody has been arrested so far, but police are on the ground trying to come up with answers on those behind the smuggling,” she added.

Biggest ivory haul

The ivory haul was termed biggest seized in Kenya in recent times and conspiracy surrounding it could span more than two countries including Tanzania and Rwanda.

On Friday, a police officer claimed the ivory was “discovered” when the cargo was being declared for exports, but still there was no word of how the lorry ferrying the container entered the port.

Kenya Wildlife Service Assistant Director Coast region, Mr Simon Gitau claimed the exporter had declared the goods as decoration stones, heading to Indonesia.

The clearing document identifies the exporter as Ngindo General Trading Company and the consignee as PT Kundur Prima Karya Company of Indonesia.

The tusks were cleared as decoration stones and stuffed inside a 20-foot container destined for Indonesia aboard a vessel called MV LalaBahadur.