Posted: 11 December 2010 2017 hrs
NAIROBI - Kenyan police arrested two Bangkok-bound
Singaporeans who were checking in 92 kilos of illegal raw ivory at
Nairobi airport, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said
Saturday.
The cargo, packed in four suitcases, was ready to board a midnight
Kenya Airways flight to Bangkok, Thailand and detected by KWS
Canine Unit rangers with their sniffer dogs, a statement
said.
Kenya, which has successfully repopulated several herds of
elephants in recent years, is a major source of smuggled ivory and
has seen a rise in poaching lately.
Thailand is a known transit point for the ivory, most of which is
then sent to China, where it is used in medicines and
ornaments.
A US diplomatic cable published by the WikiLeaks website said the
KWS had noticed a "marked increase in poaching wherever Chinese
labour camps are located".
Chinese companies are in charge of several major infrastructure
projects across the country.
- AFP/ir
