Articles pertaining to the DRC ivory seizure

S
stenews
Thu, May 19, 2022 10:09 PM

Recipients: Below are a number of articles pertaining to the 1.5 ton ivory
seizure in the Democratic Republic of Congo

DR Congo authorities seize 1.5 tonnes of elephant ivory
Al Jazeera
May 19, 2022

See link
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/19/1-5-tonnes-of-elephant-ivory-seized-in-southeast-dr-congo
for photo.

Authorities in the southeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo
have seized one and a half tonnes of elephant ivory, legal and
environmental officials said, one of the largest hauls in Africa in years.

Officers discovered the smuggled tusks aboard trucks in the city of
Lubumbashi on Saturday, according to a legal official who declined to be
named due to involvement in an ongoing investigation into the affair.

Police arrested five people but two fled after questioning, the official
said. He added that the haul amounted to 1.5 tonnes.

Both the origin and intended final destination of the ivory remain unclear.

Sabin Mande, a lawyer for a coalition of environmental groups, told AFP
that he had seen 18 bags of seized ivory in the state prosecutor’s office
in Lubumbashi on Wednesday.

The contraband represents 80 to 100 slaughtered elephants, he said.

The seizure marks one of the largest in Africa in years. In 2013, Kenyan
officials made several seizures including one of four tonnes. Togolese
authorities likewise seized four tonnes of ivory over the course of one
week in 2014.

In 2019, Vietnamese officials discovered over nine tonnes of elephant ivory
in a shipment carrying timber from the Republic of Congo, also known as
Congo-Brazzaville, in the largest recent haul worldwide.

China and Southeast Asia are major markets for African ivory, which is
mainly used for purported cures in traditional medicine.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/19/1-5-tonnes-of-elephant-ivory-seized-in-southeast-dr-congo

1.5 tonnes of elephant ivory seized in southeast DR Congo
Carl De Souza, Africa News
May 19, 2022

See link
https://www.africanews.com/2022/05/19/1-5-tonnes-of-elephant-ivory-seized-in-southeast-dr-congo//for
photo.

A shipment of one and a half tonnes of smuggled ivory was seized last
weekend and three suspected traffickers were arrested in Lubumbashi, in the
south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, judicial sources said Thursday.

The origin and destination of the ivory are not known, an investigation is
underway.

"The source told AFP: "On Saturday, our services seized some 1,500 kg of
ivory. "Five people who were transporting the ivory in long trucks were
arrested but two fled after questioning," the source added.

According to the source, "the three Congolese arrested say they were simple
transporters, who do not know the origin or destination of the packages and
claim that those who fled are the owners.

Sabin Mande, a lawyer for the "Natural Resources Network", a platform of
Congolese environmental NGOs, assured AFP that he had seen "18 bags full of
ivory weighing more than 1,500 kg" at the Lubumbashi prosecutor's office on
Wednesday.

According to him, this represents the slaughter of "80 to 100 elephants".
"This is criminal," he commented.

This is one of the largest ivory seizures on the African continent.

Seizures of two to four tonnes have been made in Kenya and Togo over the
past ten years. The largest recent seizure in the world was made in
Vietnam, with nine tonnes discovered in March 2019 on a ship from Congo.

The illegal ivory trade is the third most profitable form of trafficking
after drugs and arms. It is fuelled by high demand in Asia and the Middle
East, where elephant tusks are used in traditional medicine and
ornamentation.

https://www.africanews.com/2022/05/19/1-5-tonnes-of-elephant-ivory-seized-in-southeast-dr-congo//

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo seize 1.5 tons of elephant
ivory
Bol News
May 19, 2022

See link
https://us.bolnews.com/international/2022/05/authorities-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-seize-1-5-tons-of-elephant-ivory/
for photo.

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo seize 1.5 tons of elephant
ivory

Authorities in the southeastern area of the Democratic Republic of Congo
recovered one and a half tons of elephant ivory, one of the greatest hauls
in Africa in years.

The official said that the officers discovered the smuggled tusks aboard
trucks in Lubumbashi on Saturday.

According to the official, police apprehended five persons, but two of them
escaped after being questioned. He went on to say that the haul weighed 1.5
tons.

The ivory’s origin and planned final destination are also unknown.

On Wednesday, Sabin Mande, a lawyer for a coalition of environmental
groups, told that he saw 18 bags of seized ivory in the Lubumbashi state
prosecutor’s office.

According to him, the contraband consists of 80 to 100 slain elephants.

This is one of the largest seizures in Africa in recent years.

Kenyan authorities made multiple seizures in 2013, including one weighing
four tons.

In 2014, Togolese authorities also seized four tons of ivory in a single
week.

In the largest recent haul globally, Vietnamese officials discovered nearly
nine tons of elephant ivory in a shipment hauling timber from the Republic
of Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville.

https://us.bolnews.com/international/2022/05/authorities-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-seize-1-5-tons-of-elephant-ivory/

*Recipients: Below are a number of articles pertaining to the 1.5 ton ivory seizure in the Democratic Republic of Congo* DR Congo authorities seize 1.5 tonnes of elephant ivory Al Jazeera May 19, 2022 See link <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/19/1-5-tonnes-of-elephant-ivory-seized-in-southeast-dr-congo> for photo. Authorities in the southeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo have seized one and a half tonnes of elephant ivory, legal and environmental officials said, one of the largest hauls in Africa in years. Officers discovered the smuggled tusks aboard trucks in the city of Lubumbashi on Saturday, according to a legal official who declined to be named due to involvement in an ongoing investigation into the affair. Police arrested five people but two fled after questioning, the official said. He added that the haul amounted to 1.5 tonnes. Both the origin and intended final destination of the ivory remain unclear. Sabin Mande, a lawyer for a coalition of environmental groups, told AFP that he had seen 18 bags of seized ivory in the state prosecutor’s office in Lubumbashi on Wednesday. The contraband represents 80 to 100 slaughtered elephants, he said. The seizure marks one of the largest in Africa in years. In 2013, Kenyan officials made several seizures including one of four tonnes. Togolese authorities likewise seized four tonnes of ivory over the course of one week in 2014. In 2019, Vietnamese officials discovered over nine tonnes of elephant ivory in a shipment carrying timber from the Republic of Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, in the largest recent haul worldwide. China and Southeast Asia are major markets for African ivory, which is mainly used for purported cures in traditional medicine. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/19/1-5-tonnes-of-elephant-ivory-seized-in-southeast-dr-congo 1.5 tonnes of elephant ivory seized in southeast DR Congo Carl De Souza, Africa News May 19, 2022 See link <https://www.africanews.com/2022/05/19/1-5-tonnes-of-elephant-ivory-seized-in-southeast-dr-congo//>for photo. A shipment of one and a half tonnes of smuggled ivory was seized last weekend and three suspected traffickers were arrested in Lubumbashi, in the south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, judicial sources said Thursday. The origin and destination of the ivory are not known, an investigation is underway. "The source told AFP: "On Saturday, our services seized some 1,500 kg of ivory. "Five people who were transporting the ivory in long trucks were arrested but two fled after questioning," the source added. According to the source, "the three Congolese arrested say they were simple transporters, who do not know the origin or destination of the packages and claim that those who fled are the owners. Sabin Mande, a lawyer for the "Natural Resources Network", a platform of Congolese environmental NGOs, assured AFP that he had seen "18 bags full of ivory weighing more than 1,500 kg" at the Lubumbashi prosecutor's office on Wednesday. According to him, this represents the slaughter of "80 to 100 elephants". "This is criminal," he commented. This is one of the largest ivory seizures on the African continent. Seizures of two to four tonnes have been made in Kenya and Togo over the past ten years. The largest recent seizure in the world was made in Vietnam, with nine tonnes discovered in March 2019 on a ship from Congo. The illegal ivory trade is the third most profitable form of trafficking after drugs and arms. It is fuelled by high demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks are used in traditional medicine and ornamentation. https://www.africanews.com/2022/05/19/1-5-tonnes-of-elephant-ivory-seized-in-southeast-dr-congo// Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo seize 1.5 tons of elephant ivory Bol News May 19, 2022 See link <https://us.bolnews.com/international/2022/05/authorities-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-seize-1-5-tons-of-elephant-ivory/> for photo. Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo seize 1.5 tons of elephant ivory Authorities in the southeastern area of the Democratic Republic of Congo recovered one and a half tons of elephant ivory, one of the greatest hauls in Africa in years. The official said that the officers discovered the smuggled tusks aboard trucks in Lubumbashi on Saturday. According to the official, police apprehended five persons, but two of them escaped after being questioned. He went on to say that the haul weighed 1.5 tons. The ivory’s origin and planned final destination are also unknown. On Wednesday, Sabin Mande, a lawyer for a coalition of environmental groups, told that he saw 18 bags of seized ivory in the Lubumbashi state prosecutor’s office. According to him, the contraband consists of 80 to 100 slain elephants. This is one of the largest seizures in Africa in recent years. Kenyan authorities made multiple seizures in 2013, including one weighing four tons. In 2014, Togolese authorities also seized four tons of ivory in a single week. In the largest recent haul globally, Vietnamese officials discovered nearly nine tons of elephant ivory in a shipment hauling timber from the Republic of Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville. https://us.bolnews.com/international/2022/05/authorities-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-seize-1-5-tons-of-elephant-ivory/