KWS makes 21 seizures of illegal trophies at JKIA in four months

A total of twenty-one seizures have been made by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Canine Unit at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) from January to April 4th, 2016. This is according to a statement by the KWS communications office.

The seized miscellaneous trophies include ivory, pangolin scales, wildlife skins, and teeth among others.

According to the statement, majority of those arrested trafficking the illegal trophies are from China, with others from Vietnam, and Malaysia.

“The convicts appeared before courts of law and were either fined or jailed without an option of fine. Those fined paid a total of 23,726,600.00 shillings, with fines ranging between Ksh 250,000 to three million shillings for each of them,” read the statement in part.

“One of those convicted, Liu Juntang, a Chinese national was handed five years imprisonment without an option of fine for being in possession of two ivory bangles and one ivory comb, all weighing 150 grammes,” further read the statement.

Since the enactment of Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013, stiff penalties have been meted out to criminals convicted of being in possession of illegal wildlife trophies.

The announcement comes as the country prepares to destroy of Kenya’s largest stockpile of ivory and rhino horns on Saturday.

The event will see 105 tonnes of ivory and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn set ablaze, in a move Kenya says will send a message against poaching, which threatens to wipe out the remaining elephants and rhinos in the country.