UWA Hunts Owner Of Impounded 213kg Ivory

By Gerald Tenywa THE Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Police at Entebbe are hunting for the owner of 213kg of ivory impounded recently at Entebbe International Airport. Sued Tambwe, the police commandant at the airport, told The New Vision on Monday that Edem Kodo, a West African, escaped when the ivory was seized and was on the run. He said the ivory had passed through the Civil Aviation Authority security checks but was detected by officials of Entebbe Handling Services. "The CAA security staff suspected to have connived with Kodo and an official of Ethiopian Airlines, were arrested to assist the police with investigations," Tambwe said. He said they were later released on Police bond. "The origin of the ivory could not be established because Kodo the suspect, disappeared," he said. The ivory was destined for Bangkok, Thailand, via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines plane. UWA law enforcement officer Karl Karugaba said trafficking of ivory is an offence. He said elephants are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), of wild fauna and flora because they were threatened with extinction. Under CITES, elephants are listed in Appendix 1. "We have an interest in this case," Karugaba said. He added that UWA was working with the Police to have the culprits prosecuted. "We will soon hand over the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions to sanction the case," Tambwe said. UWA has the responsibility to protect the endangered wildlife in the country. Ends