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Malawi disowns seized ivory

 

The Department of Parks and Wildlife has said ivory and rhino horns  recently seized in China, Thailand and Vietnam are not from Malawi.

The department’s position comes after ivory and rhino horns seized on three occasions between January and March in Asia were said to have originated from Malawi.

Reports indicate that all the three cases of contraband originated from Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe.

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But in a press statement, the department’s director Brighton Kumchedwa said the information was misleading and Malawians need to be aware that the country is just being used as a transit route.

In January this year, 39 kilogrammes (kg) of rhino horn were seized at Shanghai Pudong Airport in China and in March 422 pieces of ivory weighing 330 kg were seized at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand. The most recent seizure was 119kg of rhino horn seized at Noi Bai Airport in Vietnam.

In his reaction, Kumchedwa said: “All the three contraband in the three cases are not from Malawi, in this particular case Malawi is simply being used as a conduit for the contraband, this is worrisome as it continues to dent the good image of Malawi internationally.”

According to the statement, investigations are underway at Kamuzu International Airport to get to the bottom of it.

For the past months, the country has shown serious efforts to fight against illegal wildlife trade through the enhanced penalties in the amended National Parks and Wildlife Act 11 of 2017.

Last year the country made international headlines in Mzuzu in its fight against illegal  wildlife trade by burning 2.6 tonnes of ivory from around 390 poached elephants. n

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