Feb
2012
Ugandan Officials Seize Ivory worth USD 700,000
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by Atula in poachers
Uganda wildlife authority got a lucky break when they managed to seize nearly 360 pounds (160 Kilograms) of ivory and other animal parts from smugglers who intended to smuggle the products in and out of the country. The loot is worth $700,000.
Uganda Wildlife Authority, acting executive director Dr. Andrew Seguya displayed the products in the capital city of Kampala on Tuesday. The seized goods include ivory, animal skin, bones and teeth and the officials believe it is the Chinese trade that is behind these illegal operations.
TRAFFIC, the group that monitors the international trade in wildlife under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) reports that last year was the worst year for African elephants with authorities seizing more than 23 tons of ivory, which represented about 2,500 individual elephants killed. International ban in ivory trade went into effect in 1989, but the illegal trade has flourished due to high demand in China.
According to the authorities, in 2010 they began a sensitization campaign to make custom officers aware of what is contraband. The present seizure is therefore being regarded as a success story where the officials have been alert and nabbed the goods from being smuggled out of the country.
