DR Congo authorities seize 1.5 tonnes of elephant ivory

The seizure marks one of many largest in Africa in years.

Thai customs officers test confiscated smuggled African elephant tusks throughout a press convention on the Port Authority of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand in 2015 [Al Jazeera]

Authorities within the southeastern a part of the Democratic Republic of Congo have seized one and a half tonnes of elephant ivory, authorized and environmental officers stated, one of many largest hauls in Africa in years.

Officers found the smuggled tusks aboard vans within the metropolis of Lubumbashi on Saturday, in response to a authorized official who declined to be named as a result of involvement in an ongoing investigation into the affair.

Police arrested 5 individuals however two fled after questioning, the official stated. He added that the haul amounted to 1.5 tonnes.

Each the origin and supposed ultimate vacation spot of the ivory stay unclear.

Sabin Mande, a lawyer for a coalition of environmental teams, instructed AFP that he had seen 18 baggage of seized ivory within the state prosecutor’s workplace in Lubumbashi on Wednesday.

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

The seizure marks one of many largest in Africa in years. In 2013, Kenyan officers made a number of seizures together with one among 4 tonnes. Togolese authorities likewise seized 4 tonnes of ivory over the course of 1 week in 2014.

In 2019, Vietnamese officers found over 9 tonnes of elephant ivory in a cargo carrying timber from the Republic of Congo, also called Congo-Brazzaville, within the largest current haul worldwide.

China and Southeast Asia are main markets for African ivory, which is especially used for purported cures in conventional drugs.