This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On Thursday, Kenyan authorities made a significant seizure at the Lunga Lunga border in coastal county Kwale, intercepting a consignment containing 201 pieces of dried butterflies and 20 pieces of vulterine guinea fowl feathers.
According to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), a suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure, which was made during a routine scanning exercise at the Lunga Lunga One-Stop Border Post (OSBP).
The authorities stated that preliminary investigations revealed the consignment was destined for Hungary and the United Kingdom, with documents indicating that the dried butterflies were meant for Szombathely, Hungary, and the vulterine guinea fowl feathers were invoiced from Dar es Salaam.
The suspect, who was found to be in possession of a temporary Tanzanian passport, did not have the required permit from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) or other relevant authorizing institutions, as mandated by law.
During the investigation, officials discovered a stamp with the initials of the Director of Veterinary Services, Dar es Salaam, on the suspect's documents.
The suspect has been handed over to the Kenya Wildlife Service for further interrogation and action.
It is worth noting that guinea fowl and butterfly trophies are restricted goods under the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), and the Kenya Revenue Authority is a custodian of the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and other local and international laws.
