Over 740 Kgs of Ivory Seized by Aviation Police (Uganda)

Author(s)

KFM

Date Published
Aviation police have seized over 740kgs of ivory that had already beaten airport security on transit to Singapore.
 
The ivory which is worth about Sh5.5bn was registered in the names of a Ugandan who is still on the run and was being sent to a company in Songapore that deals in Ivory.
 
According to the Aviation Police Commandant LodovickAwita the marking on the recovered elephant tusks indicate that the ivory was from outside Uganda so they have to go through a forensic analysis to determine the country of origin.
 
Apart from the elephant tusks, the consignment of 6 wooden boxes contained more than 100 processed ivory inform of bangles.
 
Five security personnel have so far been arrested for alleged connivance to export the ivory.
 
A kilogram of ivory on the black market costs US$2,500 while a single processed bangle goes for US$500.
 
In the last six months alone, the police have seized two consignments of ivory believed to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo.