SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On late afternoon January 24th, 2026, a multi-agency task-force comprised of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force, the National Police Service (NPS), and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) arrested a Tanzanian national, Imani Manasi Msumba, and Kenyan national, Alton Jilaoneka, in the small border town of Namanga. In the process, two Tanzanian registered motor vehicles were seized, found to be containing 20 pieces of ivory weighing 110 kg. A third Tanzanian suspect identified as Justin Mwalima, managed to escape.
The arrest attracted an atypically large media response including public statements from both the NPS and the Deputy Director of Security KWS, Nancy Kabete.
It was reported that this ivory was “linked to a well established regional trafficking cartel”. Deputy Director Kabete stated that the ivory had come from Malawi, being transported through Tanzania, looking for a Kenyan buyer. The LATF in their media release stated that the “operation disrupted a transnational wildlife crime network spanning multiple countries in the region, with connections to Malawi and Zambia.”
This may well be an indicator that Kenya is back on the map as a point of egress for ivory going to South-East Asia.
Comments from the various involved agencies can be found below.
Lusaka Agreement Task Force
LATF Cripples a Cross-Border Ivory Trafficking Network in a Coordinated Multi-Agency Sting Operation
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On 24 January 2026, at Namanga Border Post in Kenya, a coordinated multi-agency operation involving LATF, KWS, Kenya Police and Freeland resulted in the arrest of two Tanzanian nationals and the seizure of 110 kg of elephant ivory.
Two Tanzanian-registered motor vehicles used in the offence were also impounded. The contraband was cleverly concealed under beer crates.
This operation disrupted a transnational wildlife crime network spanning multiple countries in the region, with connections to Malawi and Zambia. LATF Director Mr Edward Phiri emphasised that this operation sends a clear message: transnational wildlife crime won’t be tolerated in our region and collaborative action is effective.
LATF extends its heartfelt thanks to all agencies and partners for their professionalism dedication and prompt action which were instrumental in this success.
Who is the LATF?:
The operative arm extending from a 1994 treaty amongst seven members to combat the illegal wildlife trade.
The members are Republic of Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and the Kingdom of Lesotho. There are three signatories, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Eswatini. They are headquartered in Nairobi on the same grounds as the Kenya Wildlife service.
The mission includes reducing and eliminating the illegal trade in wildlife through facilitation of inter-agency law enforcement cooperation, investigations, dissemination and exchange of information and capacity building.
“It was recently announced that the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Freeland, an international organization dedicated to ending wildlife trafficking and human slavery.
This partnership reinforces LATF’s mandate to promote regional cooperation and coordination among member states in combating illegal trade in wild fauna and flora, through joint training, capacity building, and intelligence sharing initiatives aimed at enhancing wildlife law enforcement across Africa.Through this collaboration, LATF and Freeland will work together to prevent the poaching and illegal trade of Africa’s wildlife while strengthening linkages between Africa and Asia, key regions affected by wildlife trafficking.”
FREELAND
Elephant Poaching Ring Nabbed at Kenya-Tanzania Border .
Directorate of Criminal Investigations
COVERT STING NETS TWO WITH SH11M ELEPHANT TUSKS IN NAMANGA
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Two arrested, one escapes as detectives seize elephant tusks worth Sh11 million in Namanga sting operation
