Alarm over rising number of women facing charges of smuggling ivory
Virginia Muthoni and Naomi Mwende at Shanzu court on January 30, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Criminals think police and the society may not suspect women of involvement in the illegal trade.
- Virginia Muthoni and Naomi Mwende are the latest to be apprehended and charged with possessing ivory.
Are women the new players in illegal ivory trafficking? A trend is emerging in the Coast, with more women getting arrested for reportedly being found with game trophies.
Those arrested and arraigned for trafficking or being in possession of the trophies in the past were predominantly men.
In the last three months, however, the region has witnessed up to seven women charged with dealing in wildlife trophy valued at millions of shillings in Voi, Mombasa and Kwale counties.
Virginia Muthoni and Naomi Mwende are the latest to be apprehended and charged with possessing ivory.
Authorities say the two women were arrested in Mamba village, Nyali constituency in Mombasa on the evening of January 29 and appeared in court the following day.
The pair, police say, had six pieces of elephant tusks weighing 11.8 kilos and valued at Sh1.18 million.
Muthoni and Mwende were presented at Shanzu court and charged with dealing in trophy of an endangered species.
The tusks, the court was told, were concealed in nylon gunny bags.
The two denied the offences and were freed on Sh1.5 million bond each with a surety of a similar amount or Sh900,000 cash bail.
The court directed that the case be mentioned on March 15.
Two other women – Tima Omar Suya and Bahatisha Juma Said – were arrested in Kwale on January 6.
Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials say the two were found with ivory valued at Sh11.1 million.
Suya and Juma appeared at Msambweni court where they were charged with dealing in and being in possession of wildlife trophies.
The prosecution said Suya and Juma were found with five pieces of ivory weighing 111.98 kilogrammes.
The animal trophies the two women are accused of having been found with.
According to the state, the pair concealed the trophies in sacks.
A vehicle they had boarded was flagged down by police officers after a tip-off.
The court was told that the women committed the offences in Majoreni, Lungalunga constituency in Kwale County on the morning of January 6.
Prosecution counsel, Alice Mbaeh, did not object to their release on a Sh3 million bond each.
On December 29, three women were arrested in Voi , Taita Taveta County, and later charged with being found in possession of ivory.
KWS officers and the prosecution said Gladys Mkangombe Mwamburi, Naomi Mkamburi Mwawasi and Mary Wanyoike had a 10kg piece of the trophy.
They were charged with dealing and being in possession of one piece of ivory.
The three were arrested by a KWS official who posed as a buyer, the court heard.
The officer said he received intelligence reports before tricking the women that he was going to buy the ivory.
The three appeared before Voi Principal Magistrate Cecilia Kithinji on January 2 and denied committing the offences. They are out on bond.
Their case was scheduled for February 2.
It was, however, adjourned following a request by the lawyer of one of the accused.
The prosecution had brought to court an expert from the National Museums of Kenya as a witness in the case.
The court rescheduled the hearing to May 9.
The increasing number of women involved in the illegal trade, some experts now worry, may be undermining the fight against organised international crime.
According to Mombasa-based advocate, Mathew Nyabena, the trend and the charges being considered in court could be an indicator that women have become susceptible targets for illegal wildlife trophy hunters and sellers.
“The traffickers could be using women because they are less prone to suspicion by authorities and society in general. Men are most likely to hire women as conduits,” Mr Nyabena told the Sunday Nation.
The advocate adds that hard economic times, which have pushed many Kenyan households over the edge, could be a contributing factor.
According to Mr Nyabena, increased surveillance may have helped KWS and other security agencies make the arrests.
Mr Chris Morris, a lead researcher at Saving Endangered Species through Education and Justice (Seej-Africa), believes it cannot be a coincidence that the arrests were in the same geographical region.
“It may indicate that the criminal network behind them attempted this method to fool KWS and police investigators,” Mr Morris said.
“It will be of interest to see if this tactic continues.”
The core business of Seej-Africa is monitoring wildlife crime cases, especially those involving endangered species.
“It appears KWS has discovered the trend and made the necessary arrests and seizures. The challenge is to follow up on these investigations and go to the next level,” Mr Morris added.
