Police hunt for Tanzanian, Kenyan brothers linked to Sh570 million ivory haul

Kenya Wildlife Service officers display ivory seized at the port of Mombasa on October 12, 2013. Singapore authorities on May 19, 2015 seized the biggest illegal shipment of ivory and other exotic animal parts in more than a decade, with the haul from Kenya worth an estimated Sh570 million. FILE PHOTO | GEORGE KIKAMI |

By  Angira Zaddock

What you need to know:

  • Investigations show that he, a senior Kenya Revenue Authority staff and a government official were behind the haul.

  • Also being sought are two brothers, Mr Samuel Jefwa and Mr Nicholas Jefwa, who are officials of Potential Quality Services.

  • KRA has also written to both Interpol, Singapore and Thailand to assist its investigations into the case.

  • Detectives have for the second time interrogated staff at Siginon Freight in Shimanzi, Mombasa, where it was established that the initial cargo, blended tea, was parked into 220 bags on April 19.

Police are hunting for a Tanzanian who had rented a house in Nyali, Mombasa, in connection with the Sh570 million ivory haul seized in Singapore last week.

Investigations show that he, a senior Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) staff and a government official were behind the contraband.

Also being sought are two brothers, Mr Samuel Jefwa and Mr Nicholas Jefwa, who are officials of Potential Quality Services, the company that exported the container in which the contraband was shipped.

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The two have been exporting 40-foot containers disguised as tea consignments since last year.

PRIME SUSPECTS

“The two prime suspects are still at large. However, efforts to locate them have been intensified through the inter-forum agencies dealing with this matter, including the National Police Service,” said Ms Maureen Njongo, the KRA spokesperson.

The Tanzanian has rented the house since 2013.

However, a rental agent associated with the house told detectives that the tenant had not provided any identification documents.

He would pay his rent in cash and was never issued with any receipts, he said.

BROTHERS ON THE RUN

A senior police officer involved in the investigations on Monday said the two brothers are suspected to have fled to unknown destinations through Uganda.

“Their mobile phones were active and were last used at the Busia border. We, however, do not rule out the possibility that they could be in the country,” he said.

KRA has also written to both Interpol, Singapore and Thailand to assist its investigations into the case.

Detectives have, for the second time, interrogated staff at Siginon Freight in Shimanzi, Mombasa, where it was established that the initial cargo, blended tea, was parked into 220 bags on April 19.

The two containers then left Siginon on April 19 and 20 and arrived at the port for loading onto the vessels Cape Moss and Cape Madrid, respectively. 

RHINO HORNS

On April 27 and May 19, the illegal consignments of ivory and rhino horns were seized in Thailand and Singapore, respectively. 

Potential Quality Services made arrangements for transporting the containers and it has been established that Mr Nicholas Jefwa gave Siginon the blending instructions from the shipper, Almasi Chai (Kenya).

However, the documents releasing the containers were signed by his brother, Samuel.

The two lorries used to ferry the cargo, registration numbers KNY 944 and KSM 783, were also impounded in Mikindani and later moved to the customs warehouse.

“The owner of the two trucks has also recorded a second statement further to the one earlier statement made at Port Police,” Ms Njongo said.

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