Guardian leo wameiandika story hii pia:
Wildlife theft scam unfolds
May 29, 2011
Were it a replay of the most blood-chilling scenes in a big-time crime movie, it wouldnt matter, because that passes for entertainment.
But when a huge plane lands on Tanzanias second biggest airport, 140 live animals are loaded onto the mechanical bird that subsequently flies off under the glare of local operatives tasked to detect and block anomalies, mouths are left agape and eyebrows are raised.
Thats what is now happening, in the wake of the discovery that, nearly six months ago, an illegal wildlife trade syndicate smuggled the precious animals aboard a Qatar Emiri Air Force plane from Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).
An emerging picture shows that the aircraft had been cleared to land there, and then, in the wee hours of November 26, 2010, it took off for Doha, bearing a wildlife cargo comprising 14 species, totally valued at $113,715 (Sh170 million).
The Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander, Lucas Nghomboko, says the scandal is being investigated, specifying that the Police Headquarters in Dar es Salaam is handling the assignment.
According to a preliminary police report, the deal involved six masterminds, comprising unscrupulous government officials, international traders, airport security personnel and airport ground handlers.
Smuggled trophies
The Guardian on Sunday chanced to see a Certificate of Valuation of the smuggled trophies issued by game officer Oscar Julius Lipili, which indicates that they included four giraffes, part of a species cherished, in the collective context, as the countrys national symbol.
Others were six oryx, 68 Thomsons gazelle, two impalas, and 10 dik dik, three elands, 20 Grants gazelle, seven kori bustard, four ground hornbill, and two each, of Lapet faced vultures and sual cats.
In the list too were one secretary bird, five spring hares and two black verreoux eagles, according to the certificate dated 11th March, 2011, in reference to criminal case No. KIA/IR/31/2011. Police say a subsidiary smuggled cargo were several sacks of dry wild meat.
Gateway
The Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) is at the centre of this latest and probably the highest profile scandal of live wildlife smuggling to ever rock Tanzania in recent memory.
As a consequence, KIA is currently the focus of scrutiny by security organs, for being used as a gateway for smuggling Tanzanian trophies and other natural resources, at the expense of the nation.
The Managing Director of the Kilimanjaro Airport Development Company (KADCO), a firm contracted to run KIA, Marco Van de Kreeke, confirmed to The Guardian on Sunday that indeed police investigations at KIA were underway, but exonerated KADCO of blame.
He remarked: KADCO has nothing to do with the allegations because our key responsibility is to ensure the airport security. Cargo and passengers are normally handled by airport ground handling firms and airline operators.
Besides security agencies, KIA, like other airports and this is a universal phenomenon hosts other outfits tasked with specific roles, such as the Tanzania Revenue Authority, customs department, livestock and wildlife offices.
At the very minimum, they are supposed to coalesce into a network that ensures that any property, resource or cargo that passes through the airport is backed by proper documents like permits, licences and tax compliance receipts.
The Kilimanjaro Region TRA manager, Ms Patience Minga, told The Guardian on Sunday that at the time when the purported animals were spirited out of the country, the customs office at KIA was closed.
Some offices, including that of the revenue authority, dont operate round-the-clock. However, a former TRA officer (name withheld) who retired on June 30, 2010, is alleged to have been one of the masterminds of the scandal. Ms Minga expressed shock over that aspect.
The Managing Director for airport ground handling company, Swissport Tanzania Limited, Gaudence Temu, distanced his firm from the scam.
Speaking over the phone, he said they had explained to the police that Swissport had lent carriage tools to a firm called Equity Aviation Services, for $3000.
Equity Aviation officer in charge at KIA (name withheld) declined to comment on the matter, saying the question should be directed to her director, whose name she declined to disclose.
A one-time airport ground handling staff told The Guardian on Sunday in confidence that illegal smuggling of live wildlife to the Middle East through KIA had been conducted for a couple of years.
It is estimated that the illegal trade of wildlife is worth between $10 billion and $20 billion a year, making it the second-largest illicit market globally after drugs.
The combination of high profits and the low risk of being caught make it highly attractive to organised crimes.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY