Tanzania seizes over 1000 elephant tusks, representing the slaughter of at least 500 animals

August 25 (AFP) – Police on Tanzania’s Zanzibar archipelago seized 1041 elephant tusks apparently being smuggled en route to Malaysia hidden in a container of anchovies. Police and customs officers at the port in Stone Town, the capital of the semi-autonomous island, seized the shipment of ivory late Tuesday. “We are still investigating,” said Martin Lissu, the port police chief.
“The consignment was offloaded at Zanzibar port two weeks ago and stored in outskirts of Stone Town.” Two men, both local transport agents, are being held by the police in connection with the discovery. Mr Lissu said the shipment appeared to have been destined for Malaysia, and purportedly originated from the mainland Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam. The tusks – representing the death of at least 500 of the endangered animals – were packed in a container of dried anchovies, with the strong smell believed to be an attempt to discourage closer inspection by the authorities.

Tanzania seizes over 1000 elephant tusks

News broke overnight that authorities at the harbour in Zanzibar have managed to intercept a shipment of blood ivory, containing over 1.000 elephant tusks hidden amongst other cargo destined, according to cargo documents, for Malaysia. While it is understood that at least two suspects were taken into custody, the financiers and key figures suspected to be behind the criminal racket are still at large. Conservationists consulted were of the view that the blood ivory could be from parks on the mainland where poaching in recent months has risen to record levels, but that ‘transit blood ivory’ could also not be ruled out, as Tanzania has become notorious as a convenient shipment route for ivory and even birds and reptiles from other hinterland countries, where poaching is said to be even worse. Much of the ivory confiscated, in Eastern Africa and in the Far and South East, has been destined for China and observers were not ruling out that Malaysia was only to be used as a waypoint before the blood cargo could be delivered to the intended clients. Notably though have news also emerged overnight that the China Wildlife Conservation Association, in association with partners like TRAFFIC and co-funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, are presently using the China Radio International broadcasts to Africa to warn Chinese citizens of buying ivory, rhino horn and other wildlife products, nor attempt to smuggle it back home at the end of their deployment, or when going on vacation. Jail terms under present law in China can reach up to 5 years for those caught attempting to bring ivory into China, but longer jail terms and heavier fines are being advocated for enactment in China, and other Far and South Eastern countries, to serve as a greater deterrent and slow down demand for the ‘white gold’. Chinese companies working on the African continent too have been drawn into the campaign, as it is slowly being recognized how damaging to the Chinese image abroad ivory smuggling has become and how in particular the demand from within China has propelled poaching in Africa to new heights. A commendable initiative concludes this correspondent, worth supporting and prolonging, while continuing to lobby the Chinese government to play a greater role in eliminating demand and helping Africa to maintain its priceless wildlife heritage.

Zanzibar police confiscate 1.000 tusks in shipment to Malaysia