Elephant Poaching: Arrests, Prosecutions & Sentencing

[nan]

me too, not realy in my heart ... everywhere I went to South-East Asia... there was Chinese who hold market... and locals... had nothing
except for Bali
and now.... Africa... Europa... and what else

[Mel]

Chinese ivory smuggler jailed in Kenya
Chinese woman jailed for over two years for attempting to smuggle ivory in macadamia nut packaging

In what was described as a victory for the Kenyan Public, a Chinese woman, Chen Biemei, has been jailed by a Kenyan court for 2 years and 7 months for attempting to smuggle ivory out of the country.

"This is a win for the people of Kenya whose voices have been heard by the government and that it is serious about doing the right thing," said Richard Leakey, conservationist and the founder of the charity WildlifeDirect, on learning the news. He was referring to the fact that the conviction and sentence was allowed despite the fact that Kenya's president, Uhuru Kenyatta, is on his inaugural visit to China and many feared that the case would be politicized.

Arrested on 14 August, Chen was caught with an ingenious effort to smuggle ivory out of Kenya using clever packaging identical to a local brand of macadamia nuts.

"It looked exactly like nuts except they were a little bigger, and were just too heavy to be nuts," said a government official at the airport.

Chen first pleaded innocent, and then did what most Chinese smugglers have done before her, pleading guilty. The Kenyan court system rarely sends people to jail for ivory smuggling crimes. But this time the magistrates were on notice. The Kenya public have been increasingly angered over the poaching epidemic that threatens the country's iconic elphants and rhino.

WildlifeDirect launched a public awareness campaign 'hands off our elephants' with full page newspaper infomercials that have been trending on Twitter. The campaign not only informs the general public about the crisis facing elephants due to poaching, it directly targeted the justice system to demand custodial sentences as allowed by law.

Chen will be held in Langata Womens prison just a few kilometers from the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi. Kenyan prisons are notorious for the tough conditions and Kenyans are hoping that this sentence has sent a strong message to other would-be smugglers and poachers.

The Kenyan public have much to celebrate with this case, and still greater expectations. The Wildlife Bill will be debated in Kenya from September and once passed will provide for a minimal sentence of 15 years for ivory smuggling crimes, but Kenyans fear this is too lenient and are hoping for life imprisonment for crimes which they believe threaten their heritage, economy and future aspirations.

[Mel]

Kenya: Two Held With Six Elephant Tusks
By Alloys Musyoka, 26 August 2013

TWO suspected poachers were arrested by Kenya Wildlife Service officers at Mkongani in Kwale with 17 kilograms of elephant tusks worth Sh600,000 on Friday. Samai Hamisi and Masoud Josa are said to be among other poachers who have been on the run, evading KWS officers' traps.

KWS deputy director for community affairs in Kwale, Dadley Tsiganyiu, said the two were arrested after members of the public tipped them. Addressing journalists in his office on Friday, Tsiganyiu said Hamisi and Josa were arrested with six elephant tusks.

They are said to have been looking for market for the tusks. "The two have been playing hide and seek with our officers and are dangerous because they are among other groups of poachers operating in this area," Tsiganyiu said.

He warned the remaining group of poachers and anyone dealing in the illegal business that they will soon be brought to book. Tsiganyiu said those living around Shimba Hills National Park should co-operate with KWS officers in stemming poaching, which has seen many elephants killed across the country.

[Richprins]

Well done, Kenya!

It will indeed be political, I think, re China, but while the boss was away they did good!

I think tourism dollars versus Chinese investment will be a future battle!

[nan]

I think tourism dollars versus Chinese investment will be a future battle!

and a big battle

[Lisbeth]

BY PROF. DR. WOLFGANG H. THOME, ETN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT | JUL 26, 2014

Customs and security personnel at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport were yesterday once again successful in intercepting a shipment of ivory carvings which were destined for Malaysia. From reports at hand, the cargo was delivered at the airport in several boxes, due to be shipped with a Turkish Airlines flight from Nairobi via Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur, weighing nearly a quarter of a ton. When the 12 boxes were routinely scanned for security purposes, some of the images appeared suspect, and the cargo was separated and then opened for closer inspection.

Airport officials regularly arrest travelers in transit carrying ivory purchased in other African countries when their baggage is scanned before being loaded to the next flight, and regular sniffer dog patrols at JKIA as well as improved technology have helped to unearth contraband carried by passengers to a greater extent than in the past. The value of the confiscated ivory carvings was given as over 30 million Kenya shillings, and investigations are now underway to find the source of the ivory, the shippers, and the recipients in Malaysia.

http://www.eturbonews.com/48407/more-iv ... rt-nairobi

[Spotted Cat]

...and investigations are now underway to find the source of the ivory, the shippers, and the recipients in Malaysia.

Hope they are successful!!!

[Flutterby]

Hi SC

Long time, no see!

[Spotted Cat]

Flutterby

Good to be here

[Toko]

Cape ivory smuggler fined R1m

February 18 2015 at 11:29am
By Melanie Gosling

Cape Town - An ivory smuggler from Lansdowne was fined R1 million in the Khayelitsha Regional Court on Tuesday for the illegal possession of 46 elephant tusks.

Thabit Chilwan, 39, was also sentenced to 10 years in jail, suspended for five years.

Fellow accused Faizil Fortune, 43, from Kenilworth, had charges against him withdrawn.

Chilwan pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of ivory in a plea bargain between the State and the accused.

The tusks, representing at least 23 slain African elephants, were found on July 10, 2012 by customs officials doing a routine search at the U-Store storage facility near Cape Town International Airport.

According to court papers, Chilwan had been found packing the elephant tusks into containers with boxes of wine. The containers were to be exported to Hong Kong.

The total weight of the tusks was 762kg.

Chilwan said in court papers he had “received” the elephant tusks on behalf of a Chinese citizen known to him only as “Harry”.

The boxes of wine, used to hide the tusks, had also been supplied by Harry.

Chilwan said the deal was that he was to be paid by Harry once the container of tusks had reached Hong Kong.

“I realise being in possession of ivory without the necessary permits was unlawful,” Chilwan said in papers.

Magistrate Johan Venter said in passing sentence that police and CapeNature regarded ivory smuggling in a serious light.

“The whole community is looking to the courts to see how we are dealing with protecting these species,” he said.

The court understood that Chilwan has shown remorse and that the matter had affected him and his family. He hoped that the sentence would ensure Chilwan would refrain from committing a similar crime in the future.

Venter said Chilwan’s 10-year sentence was suspended for five years on condition he was not convicted of a crime involving African elephants in any province in the country. In addition, he would not be permitted to possess a firearm.

Venter said R830 000 of the R1m fine was to be paid in cash into the State attorney’s account, and the remainder as set out in the order. This would accrue to the Criminal Assets Recovery Fund.

The ivory would be forfeited to the state.

Paul Gildenhuys, head of CapeNature’s biodiversity crime unit, said he believed the sentence would send out the right message to the public.

He said the accused in the last six cases of illegal possession of ivory in the Khayelitsha Regional Court had all been sentenced to 10 years’ jail, some without the option of a fine. “The one before this, the accused got 10 years plus a R5m (fine),” Gildenhuys said.

Cape Times