Revealed: How Sh1bn ivory was shipped out of Kenya

A collection of ivory seized by Singapore authorities in the past. PHOTO | FILE 

By ZADOCK ANGIRA

In Summary

• According to records at the KRA, the lorry belongs to Ms Mariam Maraga Jaka, who has already recorded statements with the investigating team, but the driver is still at large.
• Siginon Managing Director Meshack Kipturgo said: “The evidence captured proves beyond any reasonable doubt that only tea was handled and loaded into the said containers.”

The Kenya Revenue Authority has revealed the identities of several companies linked to consignments of elephant ivory seized in Singapore and Thailand this month.

Commissioner-General John Njiraini said the consignment was packed at the Siginon container freight station in Miritini and taken on a lorry to the Kilindini port.

Siginon is one of Kenya’s largest and well-established cargo companies and has long been associated with one of the country’s most powerful political families.

Investigations by both police and the KRA have shown that the consignment of tea that turned out to be ivory was to be exported by Almasi Chai (K) Ltd through Potential Quality Supplies (PQS).

The directors of the exporting company have gone underground but KRA officials said they were pursuing them.

According to records at the KRA, the lorry they used belongs to Ms Mariam Maraga Jaka, who has already recorded statements with the investigating team, but the driver is still at large.

Mr Njiraini said KRA had alerted the Singapore authorities about the illegal cargo. “The alert pinpointed the two containers based on a profile of shipments exported around the same time when the first illegal shipment of ivory was made,” he said.

According to Siginon Freight Brand and Corporate Affairs Manager Ruth Nduta, the entire consignment of blended tea was loaded into three 20-foot containers to full capacity and sealed. “The entire tea blending and loading was done in a secure warehouse environment and effectively captured by our cameras as is the standard procedure. Evidence of this is available,” she said.

The containers were later found to have 1,783 pieces of raw ivory tusks, four pieces of rhino horns and 22 teeth believed to be from African cheetahs or leopards.

In a statement, Siginon Managing Director Meshack Kipturgo said: “The evidence captured proves beyond any reasonable doubt that only tea was handled and loaded into the said containers at the Siginon warehouses.

“Therefore, it is evident that the tea shipment was replaced with the illegal ivory haul away from the Siginon premises. At no time did the staff come into contact with the said illegal ivory haul.”

Preliminary investigations showed that KRA officials were involved in the shipment.

The KRA customs export entries were done on behalf of Almasi Chai on the authority’s online system. KRA then gave Siginon permission to release the containers for export through the port of Mombasa. The containers were then sealed and handed over to PQS’ contracted trucks.

The first container left the Siginon yards on March 21 and was loaded on the ship Cape Moss.

Two other containers were loaded on the ship Cape Madrid on April 19 and April 20.