57 Wildlife Criminal Suspects Grabbed in African Crackdown

 

NAIROBI, Kenya, November 17, 2008 (ENS) - Africa's largest international operation against wildlife crime has netted 57 suspected illegal wildlife product dealers and 1,000 kilograms of powdered, carved and raw items of ivory in coordinated raids across five African countries. On the weekend, Kenya Wildlife Service, the Lusaka Agreement Task Force and INTERPOL personnel raided local ivory markets, airports, border crossings and smuggling points. Cheetah, leopard, serval cat and python skins, as well as hippo teeth also were seized. Kenya served as the coordination center for the simultaneous operation in the other participating countries - Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia. More than 300 staff from the police, customs, wildlife agencies, national intelligence agencies and the Lusaka Agreement Task Force were involved in the operation across the five countries. Clement Mwale, right, of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force, displays an ivory necklace seized in a raid this weekend. Nairobi, November 17, 2008. (Photo courtesy Kenya Wildlife Service) "Kenya Wildlife Service used various specialized law enforcement units to conduct the operation. It is also in the process of modernizing and enhancing its law enforcement capacity through the acquisition of ivory detectors, and other specialized security equipment, in order to counter wildlife crimes more efficiently," said the KWS Director Julius Kipngetich.

57 Wildlife Criminal Suspects Grabbed in African Crackdown