Tanzanian linked to Sh11.4bn ivory haul

 

Tuesday
May 26,  2015

By Angira Zadock

Posted  Tuesday, May 26   2015 at  10:42

In Summary

Investigations show that the Tanzanian, a senior Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) staff and a government official were behind the contraband. Also being sought are two brothers, Mr Samuel Jefwa and Mr Nicholas Jefwa, who are officials of Potential Quality Services, the company that exported the container in which the contraband was shipped.

Nairobi. Police are hunting for a Tanzanian who had rented a house in Nyali, Mombasa, in connection with the Sh11.4bn (Ksh570m) ivory haul seized in Singapore last week.

Investigations show that the Tanzanian, a senior Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) staff and a government official were behind the contraband. Also being sought are two brothers, Mr Samuel Jefwa and Mr Nicholas Jefwa, who are officials of Potential Quality Services, the company that exported the container in which the contraband was shipped.

The two have been exporting 40-foot containers disguised as tea consignments since last year.

“The two prime suspects are still at large. However, efforts to locate them have been intensified through the inter-forum agencies dealing with this matter, including the National Police Service,” said Ms Maureen Njongo, the KRA spokesperson. The Tanzanian has rented the house since 2013.

However, a rental agent associated with the house told detectives that the tenant had not provided any identification documents. He would pay his rent in cash and was never issued with any receipts, he said.

A senior police officer involved in the investigations on Monday said the two brothers are suspected to have fled to unknown destinations through Uganda.

“Their mobile phones were active and were last used at the Busia border. We, however, do not rule out the possibility that they could be in the country,” he said. KRA has also written to both Interpol, Singapore and Thailand to assist its investigations into the case.

Detectives have, for the second time, interrogated staff at Siginon Freight in Shimanzi, Mombasa, where it was established that the initial cargo, blended tea, was packed into 220 bags on April 19.

The two containers then left Siginon on April 19 and 20 and arrived at the port for loading onto the vessels Cape Moss and Cape Madrid, respectively.

On April 27 and May 19, the illegal consignments of ivory and rhino horns were seized in Thailand and Singapore, respectively.

Potential Quality Services made arrangements for transporting the containers and it has been established that Mr Nicholas Jefwa gave Siginon the blending instructions from the shipper, Almasi Chai (Kenya).

However, the documents releasing the containers were signed by his brother, Samuel.

The two lorries used to ferry the cargo, registration numbers KNY 944 and KSM 783, were also impounded in Mikindani and later moved to the customs warehouse.
“The owner of the two trucks has also recorded a second statement further to the one earlier statement made at Port Police,” Ms Njongo said.