A suspect from Thailand was Friday night arrested with 19.5 kg of illegal ivory at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Police intercepted her on routine patrol while
She was checking into a Kenya Airways flight at 11.30pm with 105 pieces of ivory bangles, necklaces and raw ivory while on transit from Maputo, Mozambique, to Bangkok, Thailand.
In a statement, KWS Corporate Communications Manager Paul Udoto says the suspect will be arraigned at the Makadara Law Courts in Nairobi on Monday.
The arrest follows another one of a Singaporean two weeks ago travelling from Lilongwe, Malawi through Nairobi to the same destination.
Udoto says KWS has deployed sniffer dogs at the airports in the country on a full-time basis to check on illegal trafficking in wildlife trophies at points of entry and exit.
Meanwhile, the government has increased rates for those touring the country’s five most popular national parks.
The publication of the new rates by Forestry and Wildlife minister Dr Noah Wekesa will be effective from next Sunday, the new year.
Udoto says the rates for foreign tourists visiting Lake Nakuru and Amboseli national parks has been adjusted upwards by 15 dollars to 75 dollars while rates for those touring Tsavo East, Tsavo West, and Meru national parks has been increased from 50 dollars to 60 dollars.
Udoto says rates for adult citizens of the five East Africa Community member states has also been increased by 200 shillings to 500 shillings for those visiting Lake Nakuru and Amboseli national parks while children and students will pay 200 shillings from the current 100 shillings.
Written By:Wabomba Stanley, Posted: Sun, Dec 26, 2010
Source: www.kbc.co.ke/news.asp?nid=68168