BabuK
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- Jul 30, 2008
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As the government through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism battles escalating acts of poaching some members in the Police Force have been named in the list of perpetrators of the acts.
More details about police officers involvement in poaching activities have emerged four three days after the arrest of two policemen from Biharamulo district in Kagera region over possession of 17 pieces of elephant tusks.
Fresh details from Mara region say that some high ranking police officers have been contracting Burundi, DR Congo nationals and some locals to carry out poaching in national parks.
It is reported that well placed police officers at regional and district levels have established a sophisticated network that conducts poaching activities.
The police officers in the centre of the scandal are said to come from Kagera, Mara, Kigoma, Mwanza, Geita and Shinyanga.
It is alleged that high ranking officers from these regions use lower ranking policemen to commit the crime, dangling a promise of promotion.
A government official who interrogated the two arrested policemen said the two suspects revealed that high ranking police officers were using Burundi, DR Congo nationals and some locals to poach in national parks.
The government official who preferred anonymity said the two policemen arrested made serious revelations to one of the guardians of peace in Serengeti district.
This network is wide and highly sophisticated because it takes on board high-raking police officers, well placed sources told The Guardian, noting that they involve Burundi and DR Congo nationals.
The sources said the Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) faces a daunting task in combating poaching. The police duo revealed that the network was involved in the killing of a rhino named George that was brought from South Africa and received by President Jakaya Kikwete on November 1, 2010.
Officials of the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) described the incident as a serious reversal of progress that Tanzania was making to raise the mammals population.
Rhino killings are rampant in Africa, while South Africa is among the most affected countries.
Reports state that in 2011 alone a total of 448 rhinos were killed. It is reported that rhinos are killed for their horns, used by Asians as traditional medicine, specifically to treat cancer. However, the idea that rhino horn has medical capacities is treated by western experts to be a myth.
As for the two arrested policemen, the sources further noted that duo seemed comfortable and relaxed during interrogation with the guardian of the peace in Serengeti district.
They were not worried at all. They also said they would win the case in court, while describing their arrest as an accident at work, the sources affirmed.
They said if high profile police officers who are the ring leaders would not do something to rescue them they would reveal each and everything, including mentioning their names.
Our bosses know each and everything. Sometimes we use our own weapons that are released through permits they have issued, yet today they regard us as criminals, the arrested policemen were further quoted to be affirming.
Speaking over the phone to The Guardian, Tanapa Director General Allan Kijazi admitted that the poaching network was wide and highly sophisticated. However, he said it would not outwit Tanapa strategies crafted to combat its activities.
He said Tanapa would improve training for its anti-poaching unit, game wardens, obatain modern weapons and intelligence techniques to ensure the countrys natural resources were protected.
Tanapa would continue involving police in their operations since not all policemen were untrustworthy. The Police Force has a few untrustworthy officers. So, Tanapa would continue using the Police Force, he declared.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Said Mwema said on Thursday that the Police Force would leave no stone unturned until all untrustworthy policemen were sacked.
At the end of last week, policemen stationed at Mugumu in Serengeti district, Mara region in collaboration with those from Tanapa arrested the two policemen possessing 17 pieces of elephant tusks.
The two policemen were identified as F.5553 PC Gerald Tuti and E.9172 Corporal David Delina from Kagera.
Analysts say the government was now overwhelmed by the poaching, which has gone out of control.
Hundreds of elephants were killed last year by poachers, meanwhile as the government was pursuing an application to sell to China and Japan over 100 tonnes of ivory valued at over $55.5million (about Sh88.8billion) lying in expensive storage and maintenance for close to a decade.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
More details about police officers involvement in poaching activities have emerged four three days after the arrest of two policemen from Biharamulo district in Kagera region over possession of 17 pieces of elephant tusks.
Fresh details from Mara region say that some high ranking police officers have been contracting Burundi, DR Congo nationals and some locals to carry out poaching in national parks.
It is reported that well placed police officers at regional and district levels have established a sophisticated network that conducts poaching activities.
The police officers in the centre of the scandal are said to come from Kagera, Mara, Kigoma, Mwanza, Geita and Shinyanga.
It is alleged that high ranking officers from these regions use lower ranking policemen to commit the crime, dangling a promise of promotion.
A government official who interrogated the two arrested policemen said the two suspects revealed that high ranking police officers were using Burundi, DR Congo nationals and some locals to poach in national parks.
The government official who preferred anonymity said the two policemen arrested made serious revelations to one of the guardians of peace in Serengeti district.
This network is wide and highly sophisticated because it takes on board high-raking police officers, well placed sources told The Guardian, noting that they involve Burundi and DR Congo nationals.
The sources said the Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) faces a daunting task in combating poaching. The police duo revealed that the network was involved in the killing of a rhino named George that was brought from South Africa and received by President Jakaya Kikwete on November 1, 2010.
Officials of the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) described the incident as a serious reversal of progress that Tanzania was making to raise the mammals population.
Rhino killings are rampant in Africa, while South Africa is among the most affected countries.
Reports state that in 2011 alone a total of 448 rhinos were killed. It is reported that rhinos are killed for their horns, used by Asians as traditional medicine, specifically to treat cancer. However, the idea that rhino horn has medical capacities is treated by western experts to be a myth.
As for the two arrested policemen, the sources further noted that duo seemed comfortable and relaxed during interrogation with the guardian of the peace in Serengeti district.
They were not worried at all. They also said they would win the case in court, while describing their arrest as an accident at work, the sources affirmed.
They said if high profile police officers who are the ring leaders would not do something to rescue them they would reveal each and everything, including mentioning their names.
Our bosses know each and everything. Sometimes we use our own weapons that are released through permits they have issued, yet today they regard us as criminals, the arrested policemen were further quoted to be affirming.
Speaking over the phone to The Guardian, Tanapa Director General Allan Kijazi admitted that the poaching network was wide and highly sophisticated. However, he said it would not outwit Tanapa strategies crafted to combat its activities.
He said Tanapa would improve training for its anti-poaching unit, game wardens, obatain modern weapons and intelligence techniques to ensure the countrys natural resources were protected.
Tanapa would continue involving police in their operations since not all policemen were untrustworthy. The Police Force has a few untrustworthy officers. So, Tanapa would continue using the Police Force, he declared.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Said Mwema said on Thursday that the Police Force would leave no stone unturned until all untrustworthy policemen were sacked.
At the end of last week, policemen stationed at Mugumu in Serengeti district, Mara region in collaboration with those from Tanapa arrested the two policemen possessing 17 pieces of elephant tusks.
The two policemen were identified as F.5553 PC Gerald Tuti and E.9172 Corporal David Delina from Kagera.
Analysts say the government was now overwhelmed by the poaching, which has gone out of control.
Hundreds of elephants were killed last year by poachers, meanwhile as the government was pursuing an application to sell to China and Japan over 100 tonnes of ivory valued at over $55.5million (about Sh88.8billion) lying in expensive storage and maintenance for close to a decade.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
