Kenyan Authorities intercepts 3.2 tonnes of ivory at the port of Mombasa

The Kenya Revenue Authority and the Kenya Wildlife service have, on Monday 9th July, intercepted an ivory consignment weighing 3.2 tonnes that was waiting to be shipped to Malaysia.

This is in a bid to intesify the fight against illegal trade of ivory.

While addressing the press, KRA's public relations and corporate affairs officer, Fatuma Yusuf, confirmed that the ivory was packed in Kenya and disguised as groundnuts.

"Some of the ivory weighs almost 60 kilograms an indication that they were hacking off ivory from big elephants", she said.

“According to documents we have, the container carried 240 bags of groundnuts but upon scanning, ivory was discovered hidden in between the bags,” she added.

 

The director of Kenya Wildlife Service coastal region, Mr. Arthur Tudor, observed that that is the largest consignment of ivory that has been seized this year.