KAGERA: 2 police officers held over illegal tusks

BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER

Two police officers based in Kagera Region have been arrested in Serengeti National Park in Mara Region for allegedly transporting illegally acquired elephant tusks from Bunchugu village in Serengeti district to Mugumu town by motorcycles.

Tanzania National Park Director Allan Kijazi told journalists in Serengeti that the police officers were arrested on Saturday by game wardens in collaboration with police from Mugumu in the national park.

He said the two were arrested by their colleagues who were investigating the incidents of theft of government trophies.

However Kijazi said police managed to arrest one of the cyclists carrying the tusks while the other one managed to escape.

“After arrest, the two officers took the police to the buyers of the tusks in one of the hotels in Mugumu town. These were also arrested,” he said.

He said on interrogation it was discovered that they were police officers from Biharamulo in Kagera region.

“Their cell phones show that they were communicating with people in a network of poachers of elephant tusks,” he said.

“This is a dangerous network and it has been discovered that they were also involved in the killing of the rhino named George which was received by President Kikwete…It is very dangerous when police officers are involved in poaching activities,” Kijazi said.

He said that the full report on the poachers will be released once the interrogation is completed.

Inspector General of Police Said Mwema confirmed the arrest of the two police officers, saying the exercise succeeded due to collaboration between police and workers of Serengeti National Park.

Speaking in a telephone interview he said although the act has tarnished the image of police, the force will not hesitate to hold accountable all police officers who go contrary to their work ethics.

“We have been collaborating well with our colleagues from Tanapa even the arrest of these two police officers has been due to cooperation between our police at Mugumu and the staff of Serengeti National Park,” Mwema said.

He added that police in collaboration with Tanapa have been conducting several operations to fight poaching in different parts of the country and will not be discouraged by the two indisciplined officers.

Tanzania, one of the world's last great repositories of elephants, has recently been a key battleground. It is estimated that between 70,000 and 80,000 elephants are roaming in the nation's immense sanctuaries, amounting to perhaps a quarter of all elephants in Africa.

It is estimated that in Tanzania 10,000 elephants are being slaughtered every year for their tusks.

According to reports from 2009 to 2011, the country was the leading exporter of illegal ivory in the world with 37 percent of all elephant tusks seized by law enforcement coming from Tanzania, and neighboring Kenya a close second. In October last year, customs officials in Hong Kong announced the seizure of nearly 4 tons of ivory hidden in two containers shipped from Indian Ocean ports in Tanzania and Kenya.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN (07/01/2013): http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=49853