Thread by @URAuganda

#AntiSmugglingAlert

⭕ 3 containers of elephant tusks & Pangolin scales

⭕ 2 Vietnamese Nationals (suspects) arrested

⭕ Meticulous concealment

⭕ The magical mobile non-intrusive cargo inspection scanner.

This one is a must read THREAD

@Kateshd
@URA_CG

Elephants are one of the most poached mammals the world over for their tusks but Pangolins (Olugave) are covetted even more for their scales.

Poaching rackets are existent allover Africa but the magical mobile Non-Intrusive Scanner has blown the cover of one.

@Kateshd

The mobile Non-Intrusive Inspection scanner confirmed something unusual tucked away in a trio of 20 ft containers which crossed from South Sudan into Uganda carrying logs of timber.  Timber was the declared item in transit but the scanner seemed to disagree.

@Kateshd

Controlled Delivery!

Basing on intel gathered about suspicious cargo in the containers, the customs team covertly tailed the 3 vehicles as they snaked their way accross Uganda.

The team then moved in on the cars at an ICD to verify the suspicions . Come into play Mr Scanner!

Customs found hundreds of ivory pieces & thousands of pangolin scales disguised as timber.

Ivory & pangolin scales are listed among prohibited trade items.

Customs immediately impounded the 3 containers & arrested 2 suspects (Dhan Yan Chiew & Nguyen Son Dong).

@Kateshd

With a master carpenter in on the plan, the racket masterminded an operation that claimed lives of many elephants and pangolins across Africa.

A collection centre suspected to be in DR Congo is where the racket packed the ivory and scales into well joined logs of wood.

Wax & Sawdust!

The racket poured molten wax into hollow plunks of wood and deeped hundreds of  ivory and pangolin scales into the wax.

They covered the hollow plunks with well shaped pieces of wood (lids). They used saw dust to cover lines where lids joined the hollow plunks.

The vehicles containing the contraband & the suspects were taken to the @URAuganda HQ for offence management.

Hammers came out to unbox the “logs of wood” revealing bricks of wax.

The wax has been molten again to extract the ivory and scales.

Verification is underway.

By press time, 750 pieces of ivory and thousands of pangolin scales had been verified.The process is still underway.

For 750 pieces of ivory to be amassed , 325 elephants have to lose their lives.

Thousands of Pangolins too. This is the cost of poaching on Africa's wild life.

The agencies concerned namely @URAUganda, @UgWildLife , @PoliceUg are collaborating with all other agencies involved to ensure that we get to the bottom of this racket and to ensure that the perpetrators face the full arm of the law in the name of protecting African Wildlife.

This revelation should sound a warning to all involved in smuggling of  any nature that the Ugandan borders are increasingly becoming impenetrable thanks to NII Tech.

More investment in NII technology is needed to ensure that all our borders are technologically fortified.

END!