ELEPHANTS MASSACRE STILL PREVAILS

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Friday, 09 November 2012 08:30

The Citizen Reporters Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Revenue Authority officials are up in arms over claims that some elephant tusks impounded in Hong Kong recently were shipped via Dar es Salaam port. Customs officials told The Citizen that there is no evidence that the tusks confiscated last week actually came from Tanzania. But even as the officials went into denial mode, reliable sources within the port’s security department disclosed that import and export of illegal cargo is rife at the port. The authority is responsible for control, verification and taxing of consignments that are exported or imported via ports and other exit/entry points. TRA’s acting commissioner for Customs and Excise, Mr Tiagi Masamaki, told The Citizen yesterday that his authority cannot be held responsible in any way unless the name of the ship and the date it docked at the Tanzanian port is disclosed. He also wants proof that the container that was supposedly stuffed with the ivory disguised as plastic scrap was actually inspected and approved by customs officials. “At TRA, we are looking for such evidence but we have not found any,” he added. “If anybody provides such proof, then we will have to explain.”   But sources said the problem of controls over what exits and enters the country at the port is so rampant that the ports authority has requested that Dar port’s security department get involved in checking the consignments.  “I am aware the request was sent to the TRA to involve the port’s security department in verifying the goods but we have had no response so far,” the source said. Efforts to get further clarifications from Mr Masamaki proved futile. In the earlier interview, Mr Masamaki said it was unwise to conclude that the contraband came from Tanzania while there was a possibility that it came from a neighbouring country. Given the lucrative nature of the forbidden treasure, he said, he could not completely rule out the possibility that the consignment came from within or passed through the country.  “Smugglers use dirty tricks and they usually make their way in seemingly impossible circumstances,” he added. The power structure at the port means that if an unauthorised consignment skips the TRA barrier, it will make it outside the country as no other authority is allowed to touch it. The port authority’s communications manager, Mr Franklin Mziray, said TPA is not responsible for the content of the consignments. The agency receives sealed containers with full documentation and simply ferries them out. “We are not allowed to open the containers and inspect the content,” he added. “That is not our job.” Last week, Hong Kong authorities confiscated $3.4 million worth of ivory that was found in two containers weighing more than 8,000 pounds. The haul was described as one of the biggest seizures of ivory in the Asian commercial transit hub. Hong Kong is regarded as a transit point for the illegal ivory trade that feeds on the rising demand in affluent Asian countries such as China and Thailand. According to Hong Kong customs officials, half the contraband originated from Tanzania and was valued at $1.7 million. The other half came from Kenya.  The customs officials reportedly seized a total of 1,209 pieces of ivory tusks and three pounds of ivory ornaments from the two containers. The officials were alerted by a tip-off from Guangdong officials in China and, on October 16, inspected a container from Tanzania claiming to carry plastic scrap and found the tusks. A day later, a second container—this time from Kenya—was seized. Interpol Dar es Salaam office told The Citizen last week that their Chinese counterparts had asked Tanzania to trace four people suspected to be involved in the shipping of the consignment. No arrest has been made so far. Reported by Songa wa Songa and Abela Msikula