Three Arrested in Nairobi East with 55 kg of Ivory SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On January 14th, 2020, at approximately 16:30hr, investigators of the Kenya Wildlife Service while acting on a tip, stopped…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On January 28th, 2023, police and KWS investigators arrested a Nairobi based police officer who was looking to sell 21 kg of ivory. The arrest was based on a tip-off.A…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On February 5th, 2022, KWS officers arrested two men who were ferrying 91 kg of ivory on a motorcycle.The ivory was in 26 pieces and contained in a sisal…
SEEJ-AFRICA:On January 18th, 2023, intelligence from the Mara Elephant Project led to a joint operations arrest of one ivory poacher.KWS with Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) arrested one man with…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On January 9, 2023, and based on intelligence from Big Life Foundation Kenya, KWS investigators and police arrested five men ferrying 32.9 kg of ivory on motorcycles. The…
Kenya's stockpile has increased by 3,085 ivory and rhino horn wildlife trophy pieces since the end of 2019 July 2018: KWS wardens displays the horns of the rhinos that died…
The ivory was seized in Mamboleo, on the outskirts of Kisumu. Kisumu is approximately 4 hours drive from the Tanzanian border crossing at Isibania and a 6 1/2 hour drive…
by Dan Stiles AbstractBeginning in 2008 the poaching rate of elephants and rhinos began to rise noticeably in eastern and southern Africa. The poaching intensified considerably 2010–2014. Along with the…
by Andrew Halliday, Shamini Jayanathan, Paula Kahumbu, Jim Karani, Mary Morrison AbstractThis article reviews the process and outcomes of 247 trials, involving 422 persons accused of possession and dealing in…
When Chief Inspector Samir Yunus appeared in the prisoner’s dock of Milimani court, Nairobi, on December 7th, 2022, many would suggest he looked nothing like a senior police officer of…
December 9th, 2022: Officers of the L'Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (DRC) with support from DRC NGO, ConservCongo, arrested 2 men with almost 250 kg of ivory,…
Court Updates Before HON. M.O. RABERA-PM COURT 8 December 8th, 2022(Mention): The next hearing date has been set for April 20th, 2023. The hostile National Police Service officer is being…
Thomas Muhoro Ngatia was found guilty in a Nairobi area court on November 24th, 2022 by Senior Resident Magistrate E. Riany. While passing judgement, it was indicated that the court found…
by Dina Fine Maron National Geographic The day of the arrest, a Cambodian wildlife official at the CITES conference assured National Geographic that illicit monkey trading "doesn't happen" in his…
Besides the ivory, were 2 pieces of rhino horn, 65 lion teeth, 163 lion claws, and 2 small ivory sculptures. An electric saw was amongst other items also found on…
#125 is a number assigned indicating this seizure has a link(s) to the Kromah cartel and its ivory was not DNA analyzed. L to R: Abdurahman Mahmoud Sheikh, his half…
#141 is a number assigned indicating this seizure has a link(s) to the Kromah cartel and its ivory was not DNA analysed. SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAILOn the evening of June 26th, 2017,…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On Tuesday November 1st, 2022, two nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo were sentenced before a Seattle federal court for offences relating to the trafficking of ivory, rhino…
Those depicted have no direct relation to wildlife crime. Recently elected Kenyan Deputy President, the Honourable Rigathi Gachagua, appears to be on the verge of having 2021 money laundering charges…
The arrest occurred in Bahati sub-county, just north of Nakuru. Woman arrested ferrying sandalwood worth Sh2 million By Mercy Koskei Nation Media October 4th, 2022: Police in Bahati, Nakuru County are holding a…
SEEJ-AFRICA: October 4th, 2022, KWS with intel from the Mara Elephant Project (MEP) arrested two men with 23 kg comprised of seven pieces of ivory. The two accused were transporting…
13.5 tonnes of sandalwood were seized from a police vehicle in Wamba, Samburu County, Kenya SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:Samburu East Police Commander Juma Ombata and two other police officers were arrested on…
But who is the Centre Ring? September 19th, 2022: (virtual) This case was back in front of the Environment and Land Court of Mombasa and Justice L.L. Naikuni as a…
Two Tanzanians arrested with four elephant tusks in NarokWednesday, September 07, 2022 By Robert KiplagatNation Media Group Police in Narok South sub-county are holding two Tanzanian nationals found with four pieces of…
Most wanted fugitive Abdi Hussein extradited to US (Kenya)Nancy Agutu, The StarSeptember 4, 2022 A suspect wanted for wildlife and drug trafficking was on Saturday night extradited to the US to…
The full story to date can be read at:Blundered Verdict by Kenyan Court Releases Mega Tonne Rosewood Seizure Back to SmugglersMombasa Court Orders KWS to Provide Permits for Illegal Rosewood…
It was a mistake. Ten tons of ivory and 190 kilograms of rhino horn sold over a seven year period, according to the indictment. It was actually much more than…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On Wednesday August 17th, and based on intelligence provided by Big Life Kenya, four men were arrested with 45 kg of ivory tusks.KWS and NPS arrested the men in…
by Rachel Nuwer, New York Times Head Ranger Anton Mzimba, KWS Warden II Bajila Kofa, KWS Asst. Warden Francis Oyaro, Lt. Col Leroy Bruwer, and Wayne Lotter, all died from…
A Review: Criminal Case No. 843/2017 Chief Magistrate's Court, Kwale, Republic vs Hasira Makoti Mwanzala Kwale Law Courts, Court #1 Kwale Law Courts are typical of many through out Kenya;…
Last member of indicted 'West African Cartel' arrested. SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:Kenyan national, Abdi Hussein Ahmed, was arrested on August 1st, in Meru County, for wildlife and drug trafficking related charges.He was…
A recent headline in the BBC news, “Climate change killing elephants, says Kenya”, would certainly have raised eyebrows internationally regarding the seriousness of the drought in Kenya. In a short…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On or about July 27th, 2022, the Mozambique Serviço Nacional de Investigação Criminal (SERNIC) with support from international wildlife investigative NGO, Wildlife Justice Commission, arrested rhino horn traffickers,…
By Tembile Sgqolana Daily Maverick The murder this week of 49-year-old Timbavati ranger Anton Mzimba has caused an explosion of grief and anger, with many calls being made for his killers…
Those charged included three Vietnamese citizens, two Nigerians, and nationals from Cameroon and Guinea. They have been charged with wildlife trafficking related offences going back over four years. SEEJ-AFRICA:The following…
SEEJ:AFRICA:On July 20th, 2022, Tanzania media reported that Abdul Abdallah and his wife, Salma Mshamu, appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court for allegedly being found with 413 elephant tusks…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On the afternoon of January 1st, 2022, and acting on intelligence, KWS Rangers and NPS officers intercepted a vehicle in the Central Business District of Mombasa containing 24.5 kg…
Abdulrahman Mamoud Sheikh and 8 others in Mombasa court on February 17th, 2021 SEEJ-AFRICA Summary:Abdurahman Mahmoud Sheikh @ Said Juma Said, his half brother, father, a KRA officer, and five…
Malaysia Customs pose with July 10th, 2022 seizure that included 6000 kg of ivory, 29 kg of rhino horn, 100 kg of pangolin scales and 300 kg of assorted animal…
July 1st, 2022: After spending 15 days in jail, 68 year old Italian national, Paolo Brondi, is a free man. On June 16th, 2022, at 07:30, Kenya customs authorities of…
SEEJ-AFRICA: The June 29th, 2022, arrest of Malaysian national, Teo Boon Ching, for wildlife trafficking and money laundering attracted minimal attention besides a few media houses in Thailand and Malaysia.…
The following is written by Julian Newman of the Environmental Investigation Agency on the 20th anniversary of a milestone ivory seizure made in Singapore. It is #1 on the 'Linked…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: KWS and police arrested two men on Monday in possession of a live pangolin. They were found in the Samburu area, approximately 70 km north west of Mombasa.…
June 23rd, 2022: This report by Justin Gosling of the Environmental Investigation Agency is believed to be the first of its kind relating to a specific wildlife case in Nigeria,…
Three nabbed with Sh200,000 elephant tusks Charles Wanyoro/Nation Media Group June 23rd, 2022: Police in Meru are holding three suspected poachers (unnamed) who were arrested while transporting two elephant tusks worth about…
From: 25th issue of the Risk Bulletin of Illicit Economies in East and Southern Africa by Dan Stiles and Julia StanyardLiberian national Moazu Kromah – known as ‘Kampala Man’ –…
UPDATE June 20th, 2022:Today in Kwale court #1, the accused, Hasira Makoti Mwanzala, was acquitted of the lone charge of being in possession of a wildlife trophy, to wit, two…
It is a rarity for an ivory arrest to made at Moi International Airport, Mombasa. The last such recorded case was in November 2014 when two crewman from a docked…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:Badru Abdul Aziz Saleh, who had been arrested on Monday May 30th, just kilometres from the Kenya/Somalia border, will not contest his extradition to New York.A one million dollar…
Like co-conspirator, Mansur Mohamed Surur, before him, Badru Abdul Aziz Saleh now appears destined for a jail in New York. The past Monday, May 30th, and reportedly just kilometres from…
Moazu Kromah and Amara Cherif pled guilty to wildlife offences in March and April. The following is the press release from the United States Department of Justice, South District of…
Lt. Col. Ariko Robert UPDF, was arrested at his home in Katakwi district, northeast Uganda, close to the Kenyan border. SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:The Natural Resource Conservation Network with support from the…
By RONALD MUSOKE The Independent May 29th, 2022: The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) canine unit has arrested a Yemeni national with 26 pieces of rhino horns weighing 15 kilogrammes. The suspect…
SEEJ-AFRICA:This report authored by Shamini Jayanathan, Global Prosecution Advisor to the Environment Team of UNODC, and published through the Environmental Investigation Agency. It can be read in its original format…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On March 21st, 2022, police seized a Isuzu lorry containing 537 kg of sandalwood heading to the Busia border crossing.The sandalwood had been dispatched from Kitui town, south central…
May 9th, 2022: A Mombasa Court has this morning ordered the Kenyan Wildlife Service to procure the necessary documents and permits to enable 646 tonnes of Malagasy rosewood to be…
April 8th, 2022: The prosecutions case was concluded today when the last witness testified in an eight year old ivory seizure investigation. On March 28th, 2014, Singapore authorities verified a sea…
CF 1008/18 Mombasa: Republic vs. Abdikheir Gababa Ibrahim and Abdullah Yusuf Adan Investigator displaying for the court one of the ivory tusk pieces found in the suspect vehicle. March 30th,…
Dao Thi Boi, a Vietnamese national but Singapore resident was convicted of importing a scheduled species without a permit under the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act. (Courtesy Today Online)…
#20. CF 417/2013 Mombasa: Republic versus Fredrick Sababu and James Kassiwa It was an atypical day in Mombasa Courtroom One on Wednesday afternoon, March 23rd, 2022. The court was sitting…
Turning back the calendar to 2012, I am sure that Dr. Julius Kipng'etich, then Director General of Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), would agree it was not one of his finest…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:A joint police investigation culminated with the arrest on Friday (March 4th) with the arrest of a 40 yr old man found in possession of wildlife trophies.Bakari Barisa was…
Analysis of wildlife crimes data, supported by numerous interviews, finds evidence of systematic failure by Nigerian law enforcement and the judicial system to hold wildlife poachers/traffickers accountable. This excellent report…
Mombasa and Kampala are the epicentre of 26 of the 49 ivory seizures analysed Links to a number of articles on this new study follow below.February 23rd, 2022: Professor Samuel Wasser…
The three had been charged for their role in exporting 1833 kg of elephant tusks through Mombasa Port in December 2012. In a March 2021 report, the Head of Kenya’s…
Nigeria Customs with Wildlife Justice Commission support arrest four with 839 kg of pangolin scales and 145 kg of ivory. SEEJ-AFRICA Thumbnail:Nigerian Customs and intelligence from NGO, Wildlife Justice Commission,…
United for Wildlife Taskforce ALERT Updated 1 February 2022
The prosecution of Abdulrahman Mahmoud Sheikh and 8 others is examined against the back drop of Wildlife Justice Commission's "10 crime enabling factors". An Analysis by the Wildlife Justice Commission…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On January 31st, 2022, the Kenya Wildlife Service, based on intelligence from the Mara Elephant Project, arrested a man in the Olenguruone area of Man Forest.He was found with…
CITES says it illegal. An analysis. It does not happen often that a criminal network uses the legal system to retrieve its contraband investment. But that is exactly what occurred…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On January 28th, 2021, 2 men, aged 60 yrs and 70 yrs, were arrested by NPS and KWS with 14 pieces of ivory.The ivory was contained in a sack…
SEEJ-AFRICA Thumbnail:EIA report details how a heralded major success is heading for almost total failure through:Lack of multi-agency coordinationLack of evidence (aka poor investigation)Lack of effective financial investigationFailure of bail/surety…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On January 11th, 2022, Vietnamese authorities at Tien Sa Port, Da Nang, seized 6.2 tonnes of pangolin scales and 456 kg of elephant ivory from a container that…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On the afternoon of Wednesday January 5th, KWS arrested four men in the Manga area of Voi with sandalwood and ivory. Kasungwa Mulu, Jacob Shangala, Solomon Mwaluma and…
Big Life Foundation, as stated in their quarterly reports, operates anti-poaching teams that "covers approximately 1.6 million acres across the Amboseli-Tsavo-Kilimanjaro (Greater Amboseli) ecosystem in East Africa." They also operate "collaborative…
The Republic versus James Tipape and 2 Others - Criminal Case 346 of 2015 TavetaIt is a rarity for a decision on a wildlife case in a rural Kenyan court…
In May 2014, Kenya Wildlife Service intelligence led to the seizure of 640 tonnes of illegal Madagascar Rosewood. After a protracted civil court battle in which the original seizure was,…
SEEJ-AFRICA: October 24th, 2021, KWS with intel from the Mara Elephant Project (MEP) arrested two men with 51 kg comprised of seven pieces of ivory. In November, KWS made another…
KWS Warden II Bajila Obed Kofa KWS Assistant Warden Francis Isaac Awour Oyaro Dear Director,It has been some time since my last letter, almost 2 1/2 years now since you…
Poachers Appeared in Nanyuki Court Charged with Dealing and Possession of Wildlife Trophies SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On the evening of October 6th, 2021, and acting on intelligence, KWS ambushed for men…
One KWS officer murdered and another 'abducted' 3 days and 95 kilometres apart SEEJ-AFRICA NOTE: The following account is a compilation of open sources on the disappearance of Kenya Wildlife Services…
Bajila Obed Kofa was responsible for Solio Conservancy security at the time of his murder. It is home to approximately 200 rhino's. KWS officer Bajila Obed Kofa SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On August…
On May 20th, 2021, the prosecution in the case of Republic v. Abdurahman Mahmoud Sheikh et al, applied to the court to allow new evidence in the trial proceedings; a…
"Recent analysis from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime has found that reported prices for illegal ivory rose in 2020 — the first increase since the peak of global…
The 9 defendants are of Irish, English, Vietnamese and Chinese origin. SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:September 8th, 2021: A Rennes criminal court convicted 8 of 9 defendants charged with importing, possessing, transporting and…
A brilliant case summary by the SVIS Initiative, a Singapore seizure of a DRC shipment with multiple convictions before a Chinese court. This 4 tonne shipment began its journey in…
Ksh 13 Million Fine or 10 Years in Jail for Dealing Ivory SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:May 16th, 2019, based on intelligence, DCI and KWS arrested Ibrahim Samson Ali and Japhet Bakari Mbuguni…
Second ivory seizure in Kenya in the last 15 days over 100 kg. SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:August 1st, 2021, a multi-agency team arrested four men in Kangari Town, Muranga County, an area…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On Wednesday 28th July, 2021, based on a surveillance and intelligence operation headed by the Wildlife Justice Commission, a Netherlands headquartered NGO, the Nigeria Customs Service seized 7.1 tonnes…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On July 17th, 2021, Johannes (Dawie) Groenewald, known as one of South Africa's rhino cartel leaders, was arrested with 19 rhino horn. He was in the company of Schalk…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: The Mara Elephant Project (MEP) reports that on July 26th, 2021, its intelligence unit along with the Kenya Wildlife Service, arrested two men in the Mabera area, approximately 10…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On Sunday July 18th, 2021, four men were arrested in one of the largest meat markets in Nairobi, trying to sell what was allegedly 1500 kg of zebra meat.Acting…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:Peter Muiruri of The Sunday Standard: "According to our investigations, however, wildlife crimes are among the hardest to prosecute, owing to the multiple layers of participants, with key actors…
One Charged with Dealing in 101 kg of Ivory SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:July 17th, 2021, one man was arrested by the Kenya Wildlife Service in the Kinango Sub-county area of Kwale county,…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On July 15th, 2021,the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Kajiado has recovered four pieces of elephant tusks hidden in a bush in Torosei area, Kajiado Central. The ivory,…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: Three Kenyan men were sentenced in a Voi Court to 10 years jail and a 2.2 million shilling fine each for hunting and bushmeat related offences.They had been found…
Five recent "kidnappings" in Central Kenya may confirm anonymous reports of poached rhinos in Kenya.SEEJ-AFRICA has failed to confirm anonymous reports that in recent weeks two rhinos have been poached…
A March 2021 report, “Kenya a Beacon in Fighting Transnational Wildlife Crime” painted a rosy picture of how Kenya’s fight against wildlife crime was progressing. In the article, the Head…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:A Kwale National Police Service officer has found himself on the wrong side of the law when he failed to appear in court to testify.The NPS officer has failed…
SEEJ-AFRICA:Residents are raising concerns over the establishment of a Kenya Defence Forces camp in Kalacha, claiming the camp interferes with the elephants’ migratory corridor contributing to further human-wildlife conflict.This report…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:A multi-agency security team recovered a carbine, two magazines and bullets in Kalacha area. (see map)Marsabit county Police Commander (CPC) Martin Kibet said during a press briefing that local elders…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:The recent ODPP 'new evidence' application lodged in a Mombasa court relating to the trial of Abdulrahman Mahmoud Sheikh @ Said Juma Said and others, continues to have public fallout.It…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On May 31st, 2021, the Tanzanian High Court sent the case of a Chinese national and renowned ivory trafficker, Yang Fen Glan, back to the original trial court.…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:Kenya State prosecutors (ODPP) have filed an application with the courts to allow new evidence in the ivory trafficking related trial of Abdulrahman Mahmoud Sheikh and eight others.The application…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: Mombasa Courts will on Thursday decide if a last minute application by the ODPP will breath new life into a six year old ivory case. Senior State counsel…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: May 20th, 2021: Area Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku has set bail for 4 ivory poachers at Sh 1 Million each with a surety of similar amount. Joseph Kungu,…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On May 16th, 2021, police and rangers of the Kenya Wildlife Service arrested 3 men in Maralal town centre with 4 ivory tusks weighing approximately 15 kg.The names of…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On Friday afternoon, May 7th, 2021, a Ugandan military officer, Kennedy Wabwire, was arrested by police in possession of 3 elephant tusks weighing approximately 30 kg. Wabwire and…
PRESS RELEASE:Kenya on May 7, 2021 launched its first ever National Wildlife Census covering both land and Aquatic wildlife. The two month exercise is fully funded by the Government of Kenya…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:April 28th, 2021: Kenya's longest running major ivory prosecution is one step closer to conclusion with both defence and prosecution now preparing their final submissions.Mombasa clearing agent, Fredrick Sababu…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: KWS officers have arrested two suspects with 5 elephant tusks weighing 28 kg. The two were arrested in the Meru National Park area after a tip off from…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On or about April 28th, 2021, Kenya Wildlife Service and supporting agencies (including Tanzanian) arrested Kenyan, Papayo Ole Kesoi, in the Elerai area of Tsavo West NP. He…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:April 18th, 2021, Kenya Wildlife Service officers arrested a Kwale County clerical officer with 12 ivory tusk pieces weighing 35 kg.Josphat Mtoi Kuri tried to sell to undercover KWS…
Kwale County Administrator Charged with Dealing and Possession of 35 kg of Ivory SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: April 17th, 2021, police arrested a Kwale County clerical officer with 12 ivory tusk pieces…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:The High Court in Garsen quashed an ivory possession case from 2018.Issa Nabongo had been convicted at trial of being in possession of 2 tusks weighing 5 kg and…
The ivory trafficking case of "Shetani", profiled in documentary "The Ivory Game" was likely corrupted. It began as a whisper. An ambiguous and innocuous headline, "Court Acquits Two Once Jailed…
Four Police Officers Arrested over Illegal Trade in Ivory SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: The Uganda Special Wildlife Crime Unit has made arrests of police officers in two separate ivory trafficking incidents. Two…
SEEJ-AFRICA: 4000 kg of pangolin scales seized in Cameroon near the Nigerian border. the scales were contained in large plastic bags described as food stuffs The Eagle Network (Eco Activists…
by Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, Mail & Guardian SEEJ-AFRICA: The Tanzanian arrests of major ivory traffickers Boniface Mathew Malyango, alias "Shetani" in 2015 and Mateso “Chupi” Kasian in 2017…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On March 12, 2021, KWS rangers, Olderkesi rangers, and Mara Elephant Project combined to arrest 3 men for possession of a live pangolin. The three appeared before Narok…
Chief Magistrate Evans Makori orders the prosecution to close its case Chief Magistrate Makori seems to have had enough. Almost 20 months after this headline "DPP on the spot over…
Moazu Kromah, Amara Cherif and Mansur Mohamed Surur are responsible for selling hundreds of tonnes of African ivory. This is the story of some of those shipments. Mansur Mohamed Surur…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On January 31st, 2021, a government official, police sergeant and one other were arrested in possession of seven tusks weighing 51 kg. Robinson Chelimo, Sgt. Charles Kandagor (Rift…
By Nelson Mboco For Citizen DigitalPublished on: January 20, 2021 07:42 (EAT) Two men were sentenced to five years imprisonment or a fine of Ksh. 1million each for being in possession of elephant…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On Thursday evening, January 14th, 2021 and acting on intelligence from the Mara Elephant Project, officers of KWS and NPS arrested one of two men on a motorcycle.…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On January 7th, 2021, a man described as a "notorious poacher" was arrested ferrying 200 kg of bush meat on a motorcycle on the Isara - Sultan Hamud…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On January 5th, 2021, KWS officers with support from the Mara Elephant Project arrested two men with 3 tusks weighing 30 kg. They were arrested in Narok West…
Stories/Reports/Updates From 2020 December 27th, 2020:6 Charged with 157 kg pangolin scalesDecember 18th, 2020 (44 kg):Detectives Disguised as Customers Arrest Busia Ivory SellerDecember 12th, 2020:Man Arrested with 54 kg ivory…
Six charged with possessing five boxes of pangolin scalesby Klaus Masika December 30th In Summary • They committed the offence on December 27 at around 01100 hours at a Total petrol station…
Suspected poacher loses attempt to block extradition to US By Joseph Wangui Court Reporter Nation Media Group December 19th, 2020 A 60-year-old Kenyan believed to be a poaching kingpin and…
40-year-old man arrested with elephant tusks worth Ksh.5.4M remanded 40-year-old man arrested with elephant tusks worth Ksh.5.4M remanded Border town, Gwitembe, Kenya; site of arrest By George Juma for Citizen…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On December 18th, 2020, Michael Ochokol was arrested in the border town of Busia with ivory in his home. DCI detectives and KWS rangers made the arrest and…
In the spring of 2015, the conservation world was rocked by three major ivory seizures that occurred within the space of a month. Thailand customs seized approximately 4000 kg of…
Alphonse Otieno and Kangai Alpham were transporting the ivory in a Toyota Noah vehicle when they were apprehended Two arrested with 10 pieces of ivory in Nanyuki town (Kenya) Official…
Two arrested in Marsabit County with 51 kg of Ivory and Two Arrested in Isiolo County with 7 kg. By Betty Njeru | December 3rd 2020 at 14:33:52 GMT +0300…
2015 Ivory Seizure Set for February 2021 Hearings L to R: Abdurahman Mahmoud Sheikh, his half brother, father, and 3 other accused in Mombasa court for April 25th, 2015 Thailand…
A Man Found Transporting Two Elephant Tusks Arraigned Before A Kabarnet Court By Benson Kelio/Joshua Kibet - Kenya News Agency A middle aged man from Keturwo in Barwesa Ward of…
Ivory Found in Vehicle with Hidden Compartment SNAPSHOT: On October 22, 2020, Cameroon officials stopped a vehicle 30 kms north of the Gabon border found to be carrying 675 kg…
Three Arrested with 48 kg of Ivory Written By: KNA, October 24, 2020 12:19, KBC News SNAPSHOT:Police and KWS arrested 3 men in Kitale town in possession of 48 kg…
Kenya Can Talk the Talk, but Can it Walk the Walk? On July 19, 1989, Kenya stood the world on its ear when it burned 12 tonnes of seized ivory…
Mansur Surur, 1 of 3 co-accused with Moazu Kromah, had absconded from Nairobi area court in June 2019. By Dzuya Walter For Citizen Digital Published on: September 30, 2020 12:16…
Swedish National, Abdikadir Mohamed Yusuf, and Kowsar Salah Ugas, were accused of dealing in 1.24 kg of rhino horn and other offences. By Joseph Ndunda September 29th, 2020 A Swedish national…
Accused Will Remain in Custody for Bail Ruling Application on Tuesday by CLAUSE MASIKA The Star 28 September 2020 - 16:38 In Summary •During their arrest, they were found with Sh2.1 million…
They were being tracked for the last three months. by GILBERT KOECH The Star 26 September 2020 - 16:49 Two suspects were on Saturday morning arrested at Nairobi’s Eastleigh area…
Accused found with 10 kg of ivory claimed he was running errands for an unidentified senior government officer. Monday, September 21, 2020 File | Nation Media Group by Stanley Ngotho SeeJ-AFRICA:…
Man in possession of processed ivory worth Sh10m held in Nairobi By Cyrus Ombati | September 20th 2020 at 11:13:35 GMT +0300 A man was at the weekend arrested with…
Multi-agency team, acting on intelligence, arrested the two, a Kenyan and a foreigner preparing to sell to a government official By Peterson Githaiga | September 13th 2020 at 09:21:21 GMT…
Four or more criteria present in a “cartel” case indicates that someone has their fingers on the scales. Sitting in the dock of courtroom 5, Kibera Court (Nairobi), middle-aged Kenyan,…
Kitale police seize elephant tusks worth Sh1.4m By Osinde Obare | September 10th 2020 at 01:57:04 GMT +0300 Police in Kitale have impounded elephant tusks weighing 14 kilos and arrested…
The following numbers are based on seizure data from the Report's focal countries: (Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos) PANGOLIN: 82 reported seizures, involved total of 155,795 kg…
Four arrested with elephant tusks worth over Ksh.9 million in Kirinyaga By Johnson Muriithi For Citizen Digital Published on: September 4, 2020 11:26 (EAT) SEEJ-AFRICA: This story does not refer…
* Poacher “Guyvanho,” is the first wildlife trafficker convicted in the Criminal Court in the Republic of Congo* Previously all environmental crimes were tried in the civil courts where the…
China’s Ejiao Producers Are on a Quest for Africa’s Donkeys by Alexandria Williams In Africa it’s said that “if you don’t have a donkey you become a donkey yourself”. A…
This ‘rhino court’ had 100 percent poacher convictions. Why was it closed? By Laurel Neme - National Geographic SeeJ-AFRICA Thumbnail In March 2017, Skukuza Regional Court was created to handle…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: Corporal Henry Onsongo was sentenced this past Friday at Kibera Court (April 14th) to 3 years in jail for the Possession of Wildlife Trophy charge (600 gms) of…
Two Teachers Amongst Five Arrested with 18 kg of Ivory in Kajiado County by Wycliffe, Kahawa TunguAugust 8, 2020The five including a deputy headteacher at a local primary school identified…
Mansur Surur and how botched cases kept ivory cartels in business By JOHN KAMAU (Daily Nation) SeeJ-AFRICA: There are some inaccuracies relating to details on the Feisal court case. For…
Kenyan Police Arrest Fugitive Indicted in U.S. for Ivory, Rhino horn Trafficking MOMBASA (Reuters) - Kenyan police arrested a fugitive wanted in the United States on charges of trafficking ivory…
Police officer, two others found with elephant tusk arrested in Endebess (Mt. Elgon area) By GERALD BWISA Daily NationJuly 25th, 2020: A police officer and two other men have been…
John M. Sellar OBE is an independent advisor in the fields of anti-smuggling, fraud and organized crime. Between 1997 and 2011, he was Chief of Enforcement for the Convention on…
SEEJ-AFRICA: Kenya Wildlife Service for charging purposes typically sets the value of ivory at ksh 100,000 ($1000) per kilo so this seizure is probably about 14 kilogrammes. The location of…
From the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) SEEJ-AFRICA: This is, without doubt, a conviction of note. As noted by EIA Executive Director Mary Rice: it required "political will" combined with "sophistication,…
Has Poaching Increased or Decreased in Africa? On Friday July 10th, 2020, the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) presented the 2020 Wildlife Crime Report in what was…
By Mary Rice Executive Director EIA Botswana has been in the news a lot this past week, following the mysterious mass die-off of hundreds of elephants. As well as the…
Russia and the Woolly Mammoth Trade: How Climate Change Drives Illegal Tusk Trafficking SeeJ-Africa note: Mammoth ivory, while very real and 'mined' by the tonne in Russia, has also been…
China secured huge international media coverage when its Government-controlled State media reported pangolin scales had been removed as a raw ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) – but in reality they…
Press Release: Elephant Poaching is not decreasing in most of Africa Forwarded from Journal of African Elephants Kasane, Botswana – New research led by Elephants Without Borders (EWB) reveals that poaching…
Malawi court convicts 7 Chinese, 2 Malawians on wildlife crimes: Sentencing July 3 June 21, 2020 Harold Kapindu -Nyasa Times The Lilongwe Magistrate Court on Friday convicted seven Chinese nationals…
Year long investigation by the Wildlife Justice Commission found criminal networks have moved away from China, Vietnam and Laos to Cambodia Ivory tusks found hidden in hollowed out teak logs…
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala with Dr John Waithaka during a happier time in 2018. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 'Extreme interference by the ministry of wildlife and…
By Linus Hiscox, studying MSc Global Biodiversity Health and Conservation at University of Bristol and DSWF Programmes and Policy Intern In 1979 the world’s elephant population totalled 1.3 million individuals across Africa and Asia;…
Are trophy hunters serial killers? (Book Review) by Don Pinnock freelance environmental writer Supported by wealthy and powerful organisations like Safari Club International, the Dallas Safari Club and the National…
'This makes Chinese medicine look bad': TCM supporters condemn illegal wildlife trade Experts warn the exploitation of endangered animals such as pangolin and tiger is tarnishing the industry. Michael…
Ivory/Rhino Horn Trafficker Lin Yun Hua still before Malawi Court Final witness testifies against Chinese in Malawi wildlife crime case Editor's Synopsis:In December 2017, Chinese national, Lin Yun Hua @…
A Laikipia man was on Thursday sentenced to five years in prison for being in possession of an elephant tusk worth Sh400,000. (approx estimated weight of 4 kg) The convict,…
Three nabbed in Laikipia while trying to sell elephant tusks (Kenya) Police and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel in Laikipia County have arrested three men who were trying to sell 50…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On May 15th, 2020, in Central Kenya, KWS undercover officers arrested two men with 38.6 kg of ivory. The suspects were found with 3 tusks in a sack.…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On May 9th, 2020, Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officers arrested 3 men with 9 tusks weighing approximately 50 kg. The arrest was made in an area about…
On March 3rd, 2020, as I was trolling through the twitter news feed for conservation stories I came across "Poaching and the problem with conservation in Africa (commentary)" published by…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On March 10, 2020, Daniel Karanja Muchemi, was convicted of being in possession of 84 kg of ivory in Narok court. He was sentenced by Chief Magistrate W.…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On July 12th, 2018, Joseph Wanjohi Muthee and his wife, Jane Wambui Wanjiru were arrested after a search in the Muthaiga area home yielded large quantities of alcohol,…
I was in Mombasa Court yesterday listening to a case from 2018 where two 'gentlemen' were snagged in a car heading to Mombasa with 37 kg of ivory. (And from…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: January 23rd, 2020, a Ugandan primary teacher was arrested near the border town of Busia, Kenya, with ivory. He was travelling on a motorcycle with a large sack…
In October 2018, on the strength of a study paper I wrote on "Courtroom Monitoring - Countering Corruption in Wildlife Crime ", I found myself in a seminar hosted by…
SEEJ-AFRICA: January 2nd, 2020, Mara Elephant Project Intelligence team supporting the KWS and police, arrested 3 with 39 kg of ivory. The arrest was made in the Ntulele area off…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: December 12th, 2019, investigators of the Kenya Wildlife Service and detectives of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrested a male and female in Samburu village, Kwale County, with…
I am going a little off script this week in an attempt to extricate myself from a shit pit I jumped into a few weeks ago with a "President Trump"…
With Feisal Mohamed Ali firmly ensconced in the number one position of infamous Kenyan ivory traffickers, the brother’s Jefwa, Nicholas and Samuel, would be placed at a distant second.In April…
Since my "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" year in Afghanistan, I have become a healthy skeptic of official numbers and statistics. Having said…
MOAZU KROMAH AND THE CASE OF THE WEST AFRICAN IVORY CARTEL In a landscape where the obtaining of false passports, birth certificates and identification cards is simply a matter of…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On July 21, 2019, and acting on Chinese intelligence, Singapore customs searched 3 containers enroute to Haiphong, Vietnam, from Matadi, Democratic Republic of Congo. The 3 containers, declared…
This was initially published in April 10, 2019. Ephantus Mbare Gitongo was acquitted at Mombasa Law Courts on April 25th, 2019. This commentary will be the introduction into future reports…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: On January 24, 2019, and acting on intelligence, Ugandan authorities stopped a truck/container on the Kampala outskirts carrying teak logs. The cargo, enroute to Vietnam transiting Mombasa, was found…
December 20, 2018The last year has not been kind to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) or perhaps it is more appropriate to say that KWS has not been kind to…
The Appeal Acquittal of Feisal Mohamed Ali: A Victory for Rule of Law, a Process Corrupted, or Both Could it have come at worse time for Kenya’s Tourism and Wildlife…
Two Arrested with 37 kg Ivory SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:June 9th, 2018, and acting on intelligence, Kenya Wildlife Service and National Police Service officers stopped a Majero vehicle on the outskirts of…
AP Policeman and Retired Policeman Amongst Three Charged with 25 kg of Ivory SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On 12th September, 2017, KWS officers received an intelligence report of 3 men looking for a…
Ahmed Mohamud Salah aka Ahmed Mahubub Gedi is the seventh accused in this case (1649/2017 Kibera). He was arrested 3-4 days after the initial six accused while trying to cross…
The Beginning of the End for Moazu Kromah Origin of consignment, last port before leaving Africa, seizure location, or destination location of some of Kromah's ivory. SNAPSHOT: Late on Friday…
1097 kg of Ivory Found in Hollowed Timber SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: December 21st, 2016, Kenyan law enforcement seized just over one ton of ivory inbound for Cambodia. The 1097 kg of…
No Charges Laid Despite Identical Logistics for Thailand 3.8 tonne Seizure Three Weeks Previous L to R: Abdurahman Mahmoud Sheikh, his half brother, father, and 3 other accused in Mombasa…
Four Arrested with 43 kg in Controlled Delivery SEEJ-AFRICA THUMB NAIL: On the evening of May 26th, 2014, officers from the Special Crimes Prevention Unit (SCPU) intercepted a vehicle on…
Guinean national, N'faly Doukoure, and Kenyan Kenneth Kamau Maina found with 131 pieces of ivory hidden in a water tanker SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: April 17, 2014, the Special Crime Prevention Unit seized…
March 25th, 2014 - Seven charged for Ivory shipment from Kampala/Mombasa SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAILOn March 25th, 2014, an approximately 1 tonne shipment of ivory, hidden in a cargo of coffee beans, …
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:On July 3rd, 2013, Mombasa port authorities conducted a verification of container PCIU 1522740 that was also bound for Malaysia. It was found to contain 1478 kg of ivory…
Irrefutable Evidence of Cartel Ivory Stockpiling - DNA Analysis Shows Tusks from Same Elephants in Different Shipments SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:It is reported that on May 1st, 2013, Dubai customs officers located…
January 23rd, 2013 - Singapore snags 3rd Mombasa ivory shipment in a month - 1833 kg found amongst mazera stones CASE CONCLUSION: On Friday, February 11th, 2022, Chief Magistrate Francis…
January 14th, 2013 - 3827 kg of ivory found amongst a consignment of mazera stones Kenyan Authorities charged Fredrick Sababu Mungule (a clearing agent), James Ngala Kassiwa (a Kenya Revenue…
January 14th, 2013 - 3827 kg of ivory found amongst a consignment of mazera stones Kenyan Authorities charged Fredrick Sababu Mungule (a clearing agent), James Ngala Kassiwa (a Kenya Revenue…
January 3rd, 2013 - Hong Kong seizes 1323 kg of ivory from Mombasa SNAPSHOT:Kenyan Authorities charged Fredrick Sababu Mungule (a clearing agent), James Ngala Kassiwa (a Kenya Revenue Authority officer)…
SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL: December 3rd, 2011: “Acting on intelligence, Custom Officials and KWS seized a consignment of 465 pieces or elephant tusks weighing 1647 kgs disguised as “soapstone handicrafts” packed in…
May 6th, 2011 - 1446 kg of Ivory Destined for Nigeria Found in Metal Boxes from Embassy of Brunei There is no Brunei Embassy in Nairobi. One man described as…
Originating From Uganda, 247 Tusks Found Amongst 100's of Boxes of Frozen Fish FREDRICK SABABU MUNGULE, a Kenyan clearing agent was identified as being involved but never prosecuted for this…
August 21st, 2010 - 317 ivory tusks and 5 rhino horn found in JKIA cargo area awaiting airfreight to Malaysia Kenneth Kamau Maina was charged and acquitted. Four years later…
April 29th, 2010 - 2194 kg Ivory cut into 985 pieces and hidden in two shipping containers of dried seaweed from Kenya One Kenyan facilitator later charged SEEJ_AFRICA THUMBNAIL: April…
Addis Ababa and Nairobi site of two ivory seizures in two days. Two Kenyan Men Charged By Mike Pflanz in Nairobi 30 September 2009 • 20:08 pm SNAPSHOT: September 27,…
Kenyan authorities have seized 300kg (660 lbs) of illegal ivory hidden in coffins on a plane bound for Laos. Image: Over 1 tonne of ivory seized at Jomo Kenyatta International…
Huge Ivory Seizure in Kenya, Two Men Arrested A Kenyan and Tanzanian were arrested while travelling from Tanzania, believed to be headed to Nairobi. This story from AWF and Reuters…
