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Two men who were selling ivory in Kampala ran out of luck Friday when the Police burst their illegal scheme and arrested them.
This followed weeks of investigations undertaken by the Natural Resource Conservation Network (NRCN), a team formed by wildlife activists to crack down on wildlife crime. They were supported by undercover Police detectives who pretended to be buyers of the contraband.
NRCN stated that 18.5kgs of elephant tusks worth sh7.4m were recovered. The suspects resisted arrest but the Police overpowered them.
The Police named Alex Mwebembezi who is a lodge attendant at Linkin lodge in Kireka and Tumuhimbise Ignatius a lodge manager at New Life lodge in Kalerwe as the suspects that were caught in the undercover operation.
Mwebembezi claims that the ivory belongs to him and he intended to sell it at sh250,000 for every kilogramme. Mwebembezi and Tumuhimbise were arrested at Kuspot Inn in Kalerwe during the transaction.
The suspects are currently being held at Kampala Central Police station where questioning is continuing and they will be arraigned in court.
According to the Natural Resource Conservation Network Legal advisor Maureen Ninsiima, the two will be charged with unlawful possession of a protected species contrary to Sections 30 and 75 (b) of the Uganda Wildlife Act CAP 200.
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