KWS nabs scales valued at Ksh 300M at JKIA

The Kenya Wildlife Service Canine Unit security personnel on Friday seized 500 kilogrammes of Pangolin scales valued at 300 million shillings at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

In a statement to the press, KWS Corporate Communications indicated that the unaccompanied consignment was seized at KQ cargo area and is currently in KWS custody.

Preliminary investigations on the contraband consignment revealed that the scales originated from Conakry, Guinea and were destined for Lagos, Nigeria.

According to Namory Keita of CITES Management Authority in Conakry, Guinea (Ministry of Water, Forests and Environment), the permit and all other documents accompanying the consignment are fake.

Keita further revealed that Guinea was suspended by CITES in 2012 and has not issued any CITES permit since then.

Mr Keita dismissed a Mr Diallo, one of the signatories in the permit, saying that he is not a permit signatory in Guinea.

In March, a similar amount of Pangolin scales from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, destined for Bangkok, Thailand was netted at JKIA.

Since January, the KWS canine unit stationed at JKIA has managed to make five seizures of Pangolin scales, ranging from 200 grams, to half a tonne.

Pangolin scales are believed to contain some medicinal value that cures various illnesses among the cancer and asthma.