State corruption runs through Tanzania’s illegal ivory trade from savannah to sea. At the bottom of the poaching networks are hired helpers who are often recruited from the armed forces. If caught, officers are transferred to new posts rather than fired. Some allege that soldiers rent out guns to poachers. Three years ago a legal game hunter, Andre de Kock, surprised a group of poachers and was killed with a weapon allegedly hired from an officer. Police have even been known to escort convoys of illicit ivory. Last year an officer crashed a military vehicle outside Arusha, in northern Tanzania, with a stash of tusks and a gun with a silencer. Following analysis of his phone records, the head of the regional crime office is said to have discovered that his own deputy was directly involved in the smuggling operation, along with senior officials in the city. No one has been prosecuted. Other armed forces and governments are also said to be involved. A report by the Environmental Investigation Agency, a non-profit group in London, documents involvement in the illegal ivory trade by Chinese government and military officials. - The Economist -. economist/news/middle-east-and-africa/21631202-claims-links-between-politicians-and-poachers-merit-further-investigation-big
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 18:08:09 +0000
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