Tanzanian sought over Sh570m ivory
A Tanzanian national is being sought in connection with the Sh570 million ivory haul seized in Singapore last week.
Investigations show that the man masterminded the haul together with top Kenya Revenue Authority staff and government officials.
Also being sought are two brothers identified as Mr Samuel Jefwa and Mr Nicholas Jefwa.
They have reportedly been exporting 40-foot containers disguised as tea since last year.
“The two prime suspects are still at large. However, efforts to locate them have been intensified,” said KRA spokesperson Maureen Njongo.
The Tanzanian had rented a house in Nyali in Mombasa, where he has lived since 2013.
However, the house agent told detectives the tenant had not given them any identification documents. He paid his rent in cash but was never issued with receipts.
KRA has also written to Interpol and Singapore for assistance.
“Various agencies have been enlisted, including Interpol. KRA has also written to our Singapore and Thailand counterparts, seeking information on the ongoing investigations,” Ms Njongo said.
A senior police officer told the Daily Nation that the brothers are suspected to have fled to an unknown destination through Uganda.
INTERROGATED
“Their mobile phones had been active and were last used at the Busia border. We, however, cannot rule out the possibility that they could still be in the country,” he said.
Investigators have interrogated staff at Siginon Freight, where it was established the initial cargo of blended tea was parked into 220 bags at the warehouses in Shimanzi on April 19.
Two containers then left Siginon on April 19 and 20 and arrived at the port for loading onto the vessels Cape Moss and Cape Madrid respectively.
On April 27 and May 19, the illegal consignments of ivory and rhino horns were seized in Thailand and Singapore, respectively.
The exporting company, Potential Quality Services (PQS), linked to the two brothers on the run, made arrangements for the transport.
It has been established that Mr Nicholas Jefwa gave Siginon the blending instructions from the shipper, Almasi Chai (Kenya). However, documents releasing the containers were signed by his brother.
Two lorries, registration numbers KNY 944 and KSM 783, were also impounded at Mikindani and later taken to the Customs Warehouse.
KRA claims it does not have control over the containers once they have been cleared by customs officials. As is procedure, KRA customs export entries were done on behalf of Almasi Chai on KRA online system.
Later, KRA officials claimed the seizure was facilitated by an alert they issued to the Singaporean authorities on April 28.
“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,” said the KRA Commissioner General John Njiraini.
This story first appeared in the Daily Nation