Ivory worth about Sh100 million seized at Mombasa port

Some 638 pieces of ivory estimated to be worth 100 million shillings have this evening been impounded at the port of Mombasa.

The consignment, weighing two tones was intercepted at the container verification area of the port by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials after receiving a tip off from their head office in Nairobi.

According to KRA Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Port operations Gitau G Gitau, the consignment was stuffed in a 20 foot container that was destined for Indonesia aboard a vessel called MV LalaBahadur.

He added that a similar shipment was also intercepted in Hong Kong after it successfully evaded verification a month ago in what he termed ‘use of fake documents for clearance at the customs and Kenya Ports Authority.

He said that the goods were cleared as decoration stones by the clearing agent whom he pointed out they are going to relieve off his password and suspend him from duty pending investigations.

He added that they are now watchful and are working together with other agencies to ensure such consignments do not make their way to their countries of destination.

“This afternoon we received an alert from our head office in Nairobi about a container that was about to transport ivory that was camouflaged as decoration stones. After the interception, we realised that the documents used were also fake,” said Mr Gitau.

“All documents that were used when clearing the consignment were fraudulent. It is a case of fraud and connivers of some sort.

As we speak, the clearing agent will be relieved of his customs password and we are going to suspend him and zero in on the importer,” he added.

He pointed out that the use of bogus documents was also key in the process that ensured the other consignment was shipped to Hong Kong before it was intercepted by officials in the area.

But the officials were happy they intercepted the container which they said will act as a warning to exporters and importers of elephant tusks and unlawful goods that they are watching and all goods are scrutinised.

Kenya Wildlife Service Assistant Director Coast region Mr Simon Gitau, who counted the pieces, said that that the tusks may have likely come from other countries and not Kenya because of their packaging.

“These are roughly 250 elephants who have been killed and we have noted that the pieces may have come from other countries because the sacks have labels of Tanzania and Rwanda. KRA, Kenya Ports Authority and police are all eyes to ensure such shipments do not take place through the port,” said Mr Gitau adding that it was a ‘big catch’