Police Nab Five Containers Of Illicit Brew In Thika As Hundreds Of Ivory Are Nabbed In Uganda

Police yesterday in conjunction with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) raided Africa Spirits Thika Factory and seized five containers loaded with illicit spirit and fake excise stamps covered under maize bags.

This comes hours after Ugandan forces unravelled ivory cartel operating in Africa, that has caused the death of over 325 elephants.

Today, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) arrested two Vietnamese nationals with three containers of elephant tusks and pangolin scales.

The Vietnamese were crossing from South Sudan to Uganda where the mobile Non-Intrusive Inspection scanner confirmed something unusual tucked away in the three containers with logs of timber.  Timber was the declared item in transit.

Upon further inspection, customs found hundreds of ivory pieces and thousands of pangolin scales disguised as timber. They immediately impounded the three containers and arrested two suspects (Dhan Yan Chiew & Nguyen Son Dong).

The racket is said to be operating from Congo, where a collection centre is suspected to be existing for packaging of the ivory and scales into well joined logs of wood.

The racket poured molten wax into hollow plunks of wood and dipped hundreds of  ivory and pangolin scales into the wax. They covered the hollow plunks with well shaped pieces of wood (lids). They used saw dust to cover lines where lids joined the hollow plunks.

Over 750 pieces of ivory and thousands of pangolin scales were recovered. For 750 pieces of ivory to be amassed , 325 elephants have to lose their lives.

In just three weeks, five elephants have been reported dead at Olarro Wildlife Conservancy in Narok West, suspected to have been killed by ivory poachers.

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