At least 200 kilogrammes of ivory worth over half a million dollars was intercepted at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Monday, while destined for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) confirmed the interception yesterday and said it is on high alert. The owner of the ivory, which was boxed, was still not known by yesterday. The interception of the loot followed a joint operation by parks and security agencies at the international airport.
ZimParks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the development in an interview with The Herald yesterday. Investigations to track down the criminals behind the attempted smuggling of the ivory were underway. The Herald is reliably informed that the net is fast closing on the suspects.
“The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority officers at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, working with other security agencies, on Monday intercepted 200kg of ivory destined for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,” said Mr Farawo.
“Efforts to get the owner are underway.” Mr Farawo said the case had since been handed over to the Zimbabwe Republic Police. “The matter has been handed over to the ZRP Border Control and Minerals Unit,” he said. “As parks, we are on high alert. We will not allow such illegal activities to happen and this is in line with President Mnangagwa’s policy of zero tolerance on corruption.
“We are excited that we are moving in line with the Head of State and Government. I can assure you, we will get to the bottom of this matter, as the net is closing in on the culprits.” The country has 84 000 elephants, which it considers too many, but is unable to sell ivory due to CITES restrictions. Poaching has seen a good number of elephants being killed through shooting or poisoning using cyanide.
A total of 893 jumbos were poached between 2013 and 2016. Out of this number, 249 elephants were killed through poisoning using cyanide or shooting.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.herald.co.zw/200kg-malaysia-bound-ivory-intercepted-at-rgm-airport/
Welcome to Elephant News Malaysia. This site is intended to be a public service to those wishing to keep up to date with events and issues affecting elephants in Malaysia.
Showing posts with label illegal ivory trade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label illegal ivory trade. Show all posts
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Tuesday, January 09, 2018
ZimParks intercepts 200kg of Malaysia-bound ivory
THE Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) on Monday intercepted a consignment of 200 kilogrammes of ivory worth over $1 million destined for Malaysia at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport amid reports that the contraband belonged to a top Zanu PF politician.
ZimParks spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo confirmed the development yesterday, saying the alleged loot was recovered with the help of other State security agencies.
“We recovered 200kg of ivory valued at more than $500 000 on the official market,” he said.
“The net is closing in on the owners because we have identified the travel agency that was facilitating the transportation of the consignment.”
According to sources at the airport, the consignment comprised of four boxes with carved ivory.
This was the first time efforts to smuggle ivory of such huge volume had been made. Previous attempts to nab the ivory smugglers had hit a brickwall after it was discovered the syndicates were linked to top officials.
In the latest incident, there was speculation that the consignment belonged to top officials.
Farawo said ZimParks would not hesitate to exercise its mandate following a directive by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stamp out corrupt activities. Trade in ivory has been outlawed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to prevent extinction of elephants and rhinos. This has resulted in ivory finding its way to the informal market, particularly to Asian countries, where it is commonly used as an aphrodisiac.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/12/zimparks-intercepts-200kg-malaysia-bound-ivory/
ZimParks spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo confirmed the development yesterday, saying the alleged loot was recovered with the help of other State security agencies.
“We recovered 200kg of ivory valued at more than $500 000 on the official market,” he said.
“The net is closing in on the owners because we have identified the travel agency that was facilitating the transportation of the consignment.”
According to sources at the airport, the consignment comprised of four boxes with carved ivory.
This was the first time efforts to smuggle ivory of such huge volume had been made. Previous attempts to nab the ivory smugglers had hit a brickwall after it was discovered the syndicates were linked to top officials.
In the latest incident, there was speculation that the consignment belonged to top officials.
Farawo said ZimParks would not hesitate to exercise its mandate following a directive by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stamp out corrupt activities. Trade in ivory has been outlawed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to prevent extinction of elephants and rhinos. This has resulted in ivory finding its way to the informal market, particularly to Asian countries, where it is commonly used as an aphrodisiac.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/12/zimparks-intercepts-200kg-malaysia-bound-ivory/
Monday, November 06, 2017
Malaysia embraces Melanie's work on the illegal wildlife trade
RESEARCH into how the law can be used to protect endangered species has led to a University of Huddersfield lecturer's expertise being harnessed by an overseas nation that has some of the world's most diverse and fascinating wildlife.
Melanie Flynn, who specialises in "green criminology", was commissioned to carry out research for the UK arm of the World Wildlife Fund, leading to a report on sentencing for illegal wildlife trade in England and Wales.
This led to her being put in touch with the WWF in Malaysia, a super-diverse country that is home to species that include tigers, elephants, the Sumatran rhinoceros and the orang-utan.
"The WWF were setting up a meeting with the judiciary in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, where they have environmental courts to deal with wildlife crimes," said Mrs Flynn. "They flew me out as an expert adviser. I gave presentations and we ran some workshops. We got a commitment that the Malaysian judiciary would set up a committee to introduce sentencing guidelines for wildlife offences."
Progress has been slower in the UK, a country that is highly significant as a destination and a transit country for wildlife trafficking - claimed to be the world's fourth largest transnational illegal crime.
On behalf of the WWF, Mrs Flynn - who has degrees in both the law and criminology - produced a report on sentencing policy for wildlife trade offences in England and Wales. It was the result of a process that included an experts' workshop and interviews with CPS prosecutors.
The research examined 174 cases of illegal wildlife trade that resulted in convictions in courts of England and Wales and found that most cases resulted in non-custodial sentences and that fines were low - most of them being less than the value placed on the wildlife products that had been traded.
"Overall, sentencing was considered to be somewhat inconsistent as well as lenient when the high profits and significant harms of offending were taken into account. It was also found that there was little knowledge or experience of illegal wildlife trade or its impacts amongst criminal justice organisations... this was particularly the case for the magistracy and judiciary," states Melanie Flynn's report.
It was also found that wildlife crime was not always viewed as seriously as it ought to be and that there were limited resources available for tackling it. Mrs Flynn and the WWF therefore called on the Sentencing Council - which promotes greater consistency in sentencing - to draft guidelines. However, it remains resistant to the idea.
Although frustrated by this, Mrs Flynn continues to work with the WWF on wildlife crime, with her Malaysian connection being one result. Also, she was invited to contribute to the journal of the Magistrates' Association, and this has been important in raising awareness of the issues, she says.
In addition to her research on sentencing, Melanie Flynn - who has worked as a crime analyst and who has been a research fellow at the UCL Jill Dando Institute Crime Science Lab - is also working on preventative measures in the field of wildlife crime.
"My background is in situational crime prevention, which is about opportunity reduction on the ground. It is about altering the environment to reduce opportunities to offend, but it is also about removing the frustrations that individuals hold," said Mrs Flynn, who includes green criminology in one of the modules she teaches at the University of Huddersfield.
"Some of the killings of endangered species are in retaliation because crops have been trampled or livestock might have been attacked. Measures such as compensation schemes can remove the incentive to retaliate. But we also need to provide more legitimate opportunities for people involved in poaching. We are talking predominantly about countries where there is a lot of poverty and not a lot of opportunity."
Please credit and share this article with others using this link: https://phys.org/news/2017-10-malaysia-embraces-melanie-illegal-wildlife.html
Melanie Flynn, who specialises in "green criminology", was commissioned to carry out research for the UK arm of the World Wildlife Fund, leading to a report on sentencing for illegal wildlife trade in England and Wales.
This led to her being put in touch with the WWF in Malaysia, a super-diverse country that is home to species that include tigers, elephants, the Sumatran rhinoceros and the orang-utan.
"The WWF were setting up a meeting with the judiciary in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, where they have environmental courts to deal with wildlife crimes," said Mrs Flynn. "They flew me out as an expert adviser. I gave presentations and we ran some workshops. We got a commitment that the Malaysian judiciary would set up a committee to introduce sentencing guidelines for wildlife offences."
Progress has been slower in the UK, a country that is highly significant as a destination and a transit country for wildlife trafficking - claimed to be the world's fourth largest transnational illegal crime.
On behalf of the WWF, Mrs Flynn - who has degrees in both the law and criminology - produced a report on sentencing policy for wildlife trade offences in England and Wales. It was the result of a process that included an experts' workshop and interviews with CPS prosecutors.
The research examined 174 cases of illegal wildlife trade that resulted in convictions in courts of England and Wales and found that most cases resulted in non-custodial sentences and that fines were low - most of them being less than the value placed on the wildlife products that had been traded.
"Overall, sentencing was considered to be somewhat inconsistent as well as lenient when the high profits and significant harms of offending were taken into account. It was also found that there was little knowledge or experience of illegal wildlife trade or its impacts amongst criminal justice organisations... this was particularly the case for the magistracy and judiciary," states Melanie Flynn's report.
It was also found that wildlife crime was not always viewed as seriously as it ought to be and that there were limited resources available for tackling it. Mrs Flynn and the WWF therefore called on the Sentencing Council - which promotes greater consistency in sentencing - to draft guidelines. However, it remains resistant to the idea.
Although frustrated by this, Mrs Flynn continues to work with the WWF on wildlife crime, with her Malaysian connection being one result. Also, she was invited to contribute to the journal of the Magistrates' Association, and this has been important in raising awareness of the issues, she says.
In addition to her research on sentencing, Melanie Flynn - who has worked as a crime analyst and who has been a research fellow at the UCL Jill Dando Institute Crime Science Lab - is also working on preventative measures in the field of wildlife crime.
"My background is in situational crime prevention, which is about opportunity reduction on the ground. It is about altering the environment to reduce opportunities to offend, but it is also about removing the frustrations that individuals hold," said Mrs Flynn, who includes green criminology in one of the modules she teaches at the University of Huddersfield.
"Some of the killings of endangered species are in retaliation because crops have been trampled or livestock might have been attacked. Measures such as compensation schemes can remove the incentive to retaliate. But we also need to provide more legitimate opportunities for people involved in poaching. We are talking predominantly about countries where there is a lot of poverty and not a lot of opportunity."
Please credit and share this article with others using this link: https://phys.org/news/2017-10-malaysia-embraces-melanie-illegal-wildlife.html
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Clamp down on illegal wildlife parts trade, say groups
The rising cases of Malaysia being a transit point for the illegal wildlife parts trade is serious and has far-reaching consequences including animal extinction in the region.
Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil said more stringent measures should be taken to deter would-be wildlife traffickers.
“The value of the poached animals is rather high resulting in an alarming number of exotic animals killed for commercial gains. This will inevitably diminish the species within years.
“This has to stop, otherwise we will have a crisis on our hands,” Shariffa Sabrina said.
The Aug 29 attempt by an international syndicate using the country’s port as a transit point to smuggle out the cache was thwarted.
Last July, the world’s largest seizure of ivory took place in Hong Kong when more than seven tonnes arrived in a shipping container from Malaysia.
The 7,200kg shipment – valued at RM39.1mil – was uncovered by the authorities in the former British colony, highlighting the huge demand in the illegal ivory trade.
World Wildlife Fund for Nature (Malaysia) CEO and executive director Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma congratulated Customs over the recent confiscation of illegal wildlife parts.
“This is a huge crime against wildlife, especially as elephants and pangolins are also currently threatened by habitat loss and low reproductive rates.
“Each adult female for both species can only produce an offspring at a time and in the case of an elephant, it has the longest pregnancy period of all mammals, which lasts more than a year and a half.
“Therefore, the death of even one member of the species has a major impact on the whole population.
“I call upon the state government of Sabah, and federal agencies to share resources such as manpower and intelligence to clamp down on illegal wildlife trade,” he said in a statement.
Dr Sharma said WWF Malaysia remains committed to fighting wildlife crime by providing technical expertise and sharing information with government agencies, such as the district anti-poaching task force in Sabah.
“We must show the world that we mean business when it comes to the survival of wildlife.
“Therefore, let us all work together so that Sabah will no longer be a transit point for the illegal wildlife trade.
“Together, everything is possible,” he added.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/10/clamp-down-on-illegal-wildlife-parts-trade-say-groups/#eFPteU2jQoTLMqhh.99
Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil said more stringent measures should be taken to deter would-be wildlife traffickers.
“The value of the poached animals is rather high resulting in an alarming number of exotic animals killed for commercial gains. This will inevitably diminish the species within years.
“This has to stop, otherwise we will have a crisis on our hands,” Shariffa Sabrina said.
The Aug 29 attempt by an international syndicate using the country’s port as a transit point to smuggle out the cache was thwarted.
Last July, the world’s largest seizure of ivory took place in Hong Kong when more than seven tonnes arrived in a shipping container from Malaysia.
The 7,200kg shipment – valued at RM39.1mil – was uncovered by the authorities in the former British colony, highlighting the huge demand in the illegal ivory trade.
World Wildlife Fund for Nature (Malaysia) CEO and executive director Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma congratulated Customs over the recent confiscation of illegal wildlife parts.
“This is a huge crime against wildlife, especially as elephants and pangolins are also currently threatened by habitat loss and low reproductive rates.
“Each adult female for both species can only produce an offspring at a time and in the case of an elephant, it has the longest pregnancy period of all mammals, which lasts more than a year and a half.
“Therefore, the death of even one member of the species has a major impact on the whole population.
“I call upon the state government of Sabah, and federal agencies to share resources such as manpower and intelligence to clamp down on illegal wildlife trade,” he said in a statement.
Dr Sharma said WWF Malaysia remains committed to fighting wildlife crime by providing technical expertise and sharing information with government agencies, such as the district anti-poaching task force in Sabah.
“We must show the world that we mean business when it comes to the survival of wildlife.
“Therefore, let us all work together so that Sabah will no longer be a transit point for the illegal wildlife trade.
“Together, everything is possible,” he added.
Please credit and share this article with others using this link: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/10/clamp-down-on-illegal-wildlife-parts-trade-say-groups/#eFPteU2jQoTLMqhh.99
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