Ivory kingpin in court after arrest with rhino horns in Mombasa
A man who police and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), claimed is a kingpin in ivory trade arraigned at the JKIA Law Courts on Wednesday.
Police and KWS said Feiswal Mohammed Ali, alias Feisal is an international wildlife trafficker.
He, alongside his long-term accomplice, Mohammed Hassan Kontoma, following their arrest in Mombasa County.
The presiding magistrate granted the defence lawyer’s request for additional time to review affidavits filed by investigators seeking to hold the suspects further for ongoing investigations.
As a result, the matter was deferred to August 28, 2025.
On August 26, 2025, the two suspects were intercepted at Mama Ngina Drive, Mombasa, in possession of two pieces of rhino horn weighing 2.2 kilograms valued at Sh2 million.
Intelligence reports indicate they were actively seeking a buyer for the trophies at the time of their arrest.
They were initially held at Mombasa Central Police Station before being transferred to Langata Police Station in Nairobi, ahead of today’s arraignment at the JKIA Law Courts, which has jurisdiction over transnational organized crimes.
Feisal is not a new name in global wildlife trafficking circles.
He was first arrested in June 2014 in connection with 228 pieces of ivory weighing 2,152 kilograms, seized at a motor vehicle warehouse in Tudor, Mombasa.
Then described as one of the most wanted poaching syndicate leaders in East Africa, Feiswal escaped arrest during the seizure and was subsequently placed on an INTERPOL Red Alert Notice, requesting member states to locate and apprehend him.
His arrest in December 2014 in Tanzania and extradition to Kenya marked a breakthrough in Kenya’s anti-poaching efforts. In 2016, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and fined Sh20 million by a Mombasa court.
However, in a 2018 ruling, he was acquitted on appeal by the High Court on technical grounds.
The latest arrest with rhino horn underscores Kenya’s resolve to combat wildlife crime and dismantle sophisticated trafficking networks.
Rhino horn, highly sought after in illegal markets abroad, remains one of the biggest threats to endangered rhino populations.
Speaking on the arraignment, the Kenya Wildlife Service Director General, Prof. Erustus Kanga, commended the joint operation.
“The arrest and arraignment of Feiswal Mohammed Ali and his accomplice once again demonstrates Kenya’s commitment to the fight against wildlife crime. We will continue to pursue traffickers relentlessly, no matter how long it takes, to safeguard our iconic species and protect Kenya’s heritage for future generations.”
KWS reiterated its commitment to working with national and international partners, including INTERPOL and cross-border enforcement agencies, to ensure wildlife traffickers are brought to justice.