A Chinese man was on Tuesday arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport ( JKIA) trafficking ivory valued at Sh170, 000 barely a week after China pledged millions to help Africa fight the vice. Police say the 30-year-old man had originated from Kinshasa, DRC Congo and was headed for Guangzhou in China when he was arrested at JKIA. He was expected in court on Wednesday to face charges of trafficking ivory, which is banned in Kenya. Trafficking of ivory is banned in Kenya and attracts up to a life sentence. JKIA CID boss Joseph Ngisa said they have increased surveillance at the airport to tame the crime and others. “The world needs to know that we will not allow the airport to be used to pass such goods,” said Ngisa. At the weekend, two pilots were found with 17 kilogrammes of ivory in their car in Karen area and arrested. They have since been charged in court and remanded.
The men were driving in a Toyota Probox along Mbogani Road in Karen area when they were intercepted by police from Special Crimes Prevention Unit. The seizure is the latest in a series that have been giving a signal of continued killing of elephants in the country.
Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged Sh850 million for African nations to help in fighting poaching on Saturday saying China is strongly committed to protecting wildlife and will spare no effort in combating poaching and ivory smuggling. To counter the rising global ivory smuggling and illegal trade over recent years, he said, China has been taking a series of legal actions and creating inter-agency action mechanism to fight against the crime.
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