AFRICAN-ASIAN WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION SHOWING RESULTS

Tuesday 11 January 2011 11:25
AFRICAN-ASIAN WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION SHOWING RESULTSENFORCEMENT ACTIONS FOLLOW INCREASED INTERCONTINENTAL NETWORKING

FREELAND wishes to highlight the initiative of two regional cross border law enforcement networks for stepping up investigations against ivory traffickers operating between Africa and Asia in the past 4 weeks. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) and the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) have been encouraging participating agencies to continue investigations into this lucrative illegal ivory trade. These enforcement actions have increased since officers representing the LATF (including officials from Kenya Wildlife Service) and the ASEAN-WEN (including officers from the Thai Police, Customs and Forestry) met for the first time only eight weeks ago. The meetings took place in Bangkok in early November and included a series of joint training and information sharing sessions focused on organized crime groups trafficking large amounts of endangered African elephant ivory from Africa to Asia. Since then, three major enforcement actions have taken place by participating agencies, improving international law enforcement cooperation. These actions include:

December 10, 2010

Kenya Wildlfie Service (KWS) in coordinated with police arrested two Singaporean citizens travelling from Malawi with almost 100 kilograms of raw ivory and other wildlife carcasses which require export permit at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while trying to board a flight to Bangkok. The authorities released one suspect the next day, while the main suspect remains in detention while awaiting a court hearing.

December 16, 2010

Royal Thai Customs seized 69 elephant tusks and other African ivory pieces weighing a total of 435 kilograms (valued at $330,000) from a shipment coming from Mozambique, on its way to Laos, via Bangkok. Investigations continue.

Royal Thai Customs held a press conference about its seizure on December 16 and began handing evidence over to the Thai Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) on January 6 and 7, 2011, while planning future domestic and international investigations.

December 24, 2010

Police in coordinate with KWS arrested two Thai citizens traveling from Mozambique with 117 pieces of carving ivory, weighing 19.5kgs of illegal ivory pieces at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while trying to board a flight to Bangkok. The offender pleaded guilty and fined Ksh. 30,000 (valued at $370) or an imprisonment term of one year. The offender paid the fine and was released.

“We are very impressed with the Thai and Kenyan authorities’ respective set of actions, which stem from investigations they have started together,” said Steven Galster, Director of FREELAND. “We hope they will continue until they catch the top culprits who are behind the major shipments moving between Africa and Asia, so that endangered African elephants can experience some relief from commercial poaching.”

With support from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), FREELAND and the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network organized the November trans-continental investigation sessions that took place in Bangkok. There are plans for follow up criminal intelligence exchange meetings in Africa, while investigations continue.

For more information, contact FREELAND Communications Director Pornvadee Piyakhun at +66 22042719 or +66 818598629, or by email at [email protected]