Frenchwoman fined Sh1m after being arrested with ivory bangle at JKIA
A Frenchwoman, who was arrested on Wednesday night at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for being in possession of an ivory bangle, has been fined Sh1 million.
This after the accused, who risks a 12 months jail term in default, pleaded guilty to the charges.
POACHING
The French national, Laazibi Amal, who was transiting through JKIA from France to Dzaoudzi Island, was arrested with an ivory bangle weighing 0.85 grams.
She was booked at the JKIA Police Station before being arraigned in court on Thursday.
The court allowed her to access the bank in the airport to get the fine or surrender to the court and along with her passport.
While confirming the arrest in a tweet, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said possession of such items “is one of many things that fuel poaching and the trade in ivory.”
Last year, a Chinese national was arrested at JKIA with two elephant ivory bangles weighing 150gm.
ANIMAL TROPHY
The bangles had been concealed inside the suspect’s check-in bag.
Zhang Ninighua, 52, was on transit from Lagos, Nigeria to Guangzhou, China and was smoked out by the Kenya Wildlife Service canine section.
Last week, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) recovered 100kgs of elephant tusks valued at about Sh10 million in Nyandarua.
One suspect, 42-year-old David Ndegwa, was arrested during the raid.
Possessing animal trophy is illegal in Kenya and is punishable by life sentence or Sh20 million fine, or both.