By STANLEY MWAHANGA
Mombasa, Kenya: Officials from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) were Wednesday at pains to explain why ivory smugglers are increasingly using the port of Mombasa.
Journalists cornered the officers as they sought to divulge more details of the 3.2 tonne of ivory seized at the port on Tuesday, the largest of its kind in the recent times following a spate of small seizures, raising questions about the audacity of smugglers.
The officers attributed the string of recent seizures to increased surveillance but admitted they are alarmed by the emerging trend and size of the recent interceptions.
On Wednesday KWS announced that its preliminary research had shown that the cargo of tusks was assembled in Mombasa and most likely, originated from elephants killed in different parts of the region.
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But police were unwilling to explain if any arrests had been made in connection to the seizure despite KRA’s allegations of having availed names of firms and people who cleared the container in which the ivory was found. “3.2 tonnes in a single day is not a simple matter,” said KWS spokesman Paul Udoto adding: “From the coloration of the tusks, we have determined that they originated from different areas.”
Mr Udoto alleged the cargo was assembled in Mombasa, and smugglers using the port of Mombasa constitutes to an international cartel that is involved in transnational crime.
But like KRA officials, KRA Assistant Commissioner Aruthur Tuda was unable to explain rising smuggling cases through the Kenyan port only saying, “we don’t understand why they (smugglers) prefer to use our port.”
Pieces of tusks
Earlier, she told The Standard that unlike the seizures of ivory made at the port in January and July 3, this year, the Tuesday’s cargo involved full and intact tusks compared to previous catches that were mainly pieces of tusks. “Most of what we impounded on Tuesday were full tusks and some were as long as 6 to 7 feet long,” she added.
She attributed recent seizures to “increased surveillance” by police, KWS and port authorities but declined to comment on why the port is increasingly being used by smugglers. KRA officials claimed the container intercepted on Monday contained 444 pieces of Ivory weighing 3.2 tonnes. This roughly means 200 elephants were killed in the hands of poachers.
