SEEJ-AFRICA:
On January 11th, 2025, police and KWS intercepted a motorcycle with Tanzanian registration in the Lunga Lunga area carrying over 100 kg of ivory. Lunga Lunga is on the Tanzanian border and in close proximity to the Kenyan Indian Ocean coastline. In this operation, the suspects managed to escape, leaving behind the ivory and motorcycle.
What is of note, however, is that the Lunga Lunga area, has been the location of three other ivory seizures in the past year with seizure amounts of 59 kg, 112 kg and 58 kg. This is an area of the country that in the past has had minimal ivory trafficking activity.
Is this activity an indicator of an ivory consolidation point in the area? The small port village of Shimoni is in close proximity and would fuel speculation that ivory may be leaving Kenya in smaller fishing boats destined for Somalia or for loading on larger vessels at sea.
One thing is certain, ivory is leaving Kenya and from a coastal area.
(There is not weight assigned to this seizure in the media story but based on the value given by KWS, it would be estimated at just over 100 kg.)
