This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
On August 15, 2019, a French national, Laazibi Amal, was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for being in possession of an ivory bangle.
She was transiting through JKIA from France to Dzaoudzi Island when she was caught with the bangle weighing 0.85 grams.
Laazibi Amal pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined Sh1 million, which she paid to avoid a 12-month jail term.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) confirmed the arrest in a tweet, stating that possession of such items fuels poaching and the trade in ivory.
Laazibi Amal was allowed to access her bank account at the airport to pay the fine or surrender her passport to the court.
Her arrest comes after a Chinese national was arrested at JKIA last year with two elephant ivory bangles weighing 150 grams.
Kenya has strict laws against the possession of animal trophies, with a life sentence or a Sh20 million fine, or both, being the punishment for offenders.
