Page 21 - EIA Report on Tanzanian African Ivory Smuggling 2014 report

781 tusks from Tanzania
seized in Malawi, May 2013.

© MRA

Court records show the main culprits to be Deng Jiyun, Zhang Tusks seized in Malawi were
Mingzhi, both Chinese nationals, and Idris Kai Hamisi from traced to this address in
Zanzibar.56 Deng is believed to be a former employee at the Mbezi area of Dar es Salaam.
Chinese consulate in Zanzibar. When the case was uncovered, all
three fled to China. Both Zhang and Deng are listed on INTERPOL’s
red notice database of wanted persons.57

The Malawi route

A convoluted back door route for smuggling ivory out of Tanzania
came to light in 2013 when a truck was searched in neighbouring
Malawi and elephant tusks discovered. On May 24, 2013 a mobile
team from Malawi Revenue Authority carried out an inspection on
a truck in the area between Bwengu and Phwezi. The driver
declared that the truck contained cement from Tanzania. Upon
inspection, 781 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 2.6 tonnes were
discovered concealed beneath the cement bags.58

The truck was both driven and owned by Charles “Chancy” Subsequent research shows that Kaunda is the director of the
Kaunda. He had driven the truck from Lilongwe to Dar es Salaam in Lilongwe-based City Car Hire company. Local sources claim this
Tanzania, a journey of at least 20 hours, where he collected the firm is really owned by two Chinese businessmen based in
ivory from a residential address. On the return journey, he was Lilongwe, with Kaunda acting as a front. This is not the first time
able to cross the Songwe border post unimpeded and was Malawi has been used as an ivory trafficking hub; detailed research
returning to Lilongwe when stopped by the MRA mobile unit. carried out by EIA in 2002 revealed the existence of a major ivory
smuggling syndicate based in Lilongwe which was trafficking ivory
Follow-up investigations by the Tanzanian authorities located from Zambia to Asia via Lilongwe. Run by a Malaysian national
the house where the tusks had been collected in an up-market known as “Peter” Wang, the group had made at least 19 shipments
neighbourhood called Mbezi Makabe, where similar properties of ivory to Asia until one of them, weighing over seven tonnes,
cost US$3,000 a month to rent. A raid on the premises uncovered was seized in Singapore in June 2002.59
a further 347 tusks weighing about one tonne and bags of cement.
The occupant, a Government fisheries officer called Selemani
Isanzu Chasama, was arrested. When interrogated, he claimed to
be operating on behalf of an MP from CCM.

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