The Kisoro District Police have detained three suspects after intercepting an estimated 60kg of illegal ivory along the Kisoro-Bunagana Road.
Reliable sources revealed the suspects, all residents of Kanombe Village in Muramba Sub-County, had concealed the ivory pieces in a sack of sweet potatoes. Police led by OC Station Pius Asiimwe discovered the contraband during a morning patrol using an unmarked Toyota Pro-Box vehicle.
Investigators determined the ivory came from a single mature elephant based on two distinct tusk tips among the 10 confiscated pieces. They believe the animal was poached in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Uganda Wildlife Authority spokesperson Hangi Bashir said he was not yet privy to the situation but pledged to release more information once details were gathered.
Wildlife advocate group Wildlife Elephants Uganda estimates around 5,000 elephants remain in Uganda, mainly within the Kidepo, Murchison-Semliki and Greater Virunga landscapes.
Under Ugandan law, the ivory trade is strictly prohibited and punishable by heavy fines and jail time. This follows the 1989 CITES banning global commerce to curb mass elephant poaching in Africa.
Ugandan security forces have heightened anti-trafficking efforts recently, intercepting illicit goods like pangolin scales and ivory. They aim to clamp down on criminal networks endangering Uganda’s biodiversity for profit.
The suspects and recovered ivory have been transferred to Kisoro Police Station as investigations into the transnational smuggling ring commence.