Africa-Press – Eswatini. A woman from the Republic of Mauritius was nabbed at KM III International Airport while trying to traffic elephant tusks, ivory, crocodile and money out of the country.
She was arrested while going through the processes of taking a flight to OR Tambo International Airport.
Officials at the airport noticed that the accused’s luggage had suspicious contents when it was presented at the check points.
It was then that she was asked aside for a routine search of her luggage.
The luggage was found with elephant tusks (teeth) and ivory worth hundreds of thousands of Emalangeni.
Choon Yoon Kiaw Kwok (59) who was charged with six counts ranging from contravening the Game Act and money laundering and appeared before Principal Magistrate, Dumisani Magagula. According to global black markets, a kilogramme of elephant tusk or ivory sells at over E100 000.
Elephant tusks and ivory are said to be among the most sought after animal parts, which are also the most trafficked products. They are grouped with rhino horns and leopard teeth.
For this reason, the Mauritian woman was taken to the police post within the airport after it was realised that she was carrying the tusks and ivory, which were worth hundreds of thousands of Emalangeni.
On the first count, Kwok was charged with contravening Section four of the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011.
She was said to have wrongfully and unlawfully failed to declare to the customs office at the point of departure a sum of E22 670 plus 300 US Dollars (E5 700).
On the second count, she was charged with contravening Section 8 of the Game Act of 1053 in that she wrongfully and unlawfully possessed royal trophies, to wit, two elephant tusks, six egg-shaped ivory, three knife-shaped ivory, and two crocodile-shaped ivory without being a holder of a valid permit.
Kwok faced a similar charge on the third count in that she possessed a crocodile head without being a holder of a valid permit. She also faced a separate charge for possession of a full crocodile.
On the last count, she was charged for possession of four elephant tusks, four chop sticks, six rhino-shaped ivory, 12 elephant-shaped ivory, five rectangle-shaped ivory and two more drumstick shaped ivory.
During her appearance in court, Kwok had legal representation.
Prosecutor, Nomphumelelo Msibi filed an application to have the consignment kept by the police pending commencement of trial.
Kwok was remanded into custody and ordered to return to court tomorrow for a bail hearing.
Her arrest comes hardly a week after a South African woman was arrested for theft of a vehicle at Mhlumeni Border Post. The South African woman was granted bail of E5 000 and the matter was postponed.
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