Kenyan police seize $64,000 ivory at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Kenyan police at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, JKIA, have seized a transit cargo with ivory valued at $64,000 headed for Bangkok, Thailand, authorities there have confirmed.

The police said18 pieces of ivory were hidden in a baggage disguised as gemstones from Maputo, Mozambique.

Kenyan authorities have in the past seized several raw ivory and ivory products destined for Far East countries such as China and Thailand where they are used for medicinal and aphrodisiac purposes.

A suspect was arrested last week by Kenyan police in possession of 39 elephant tusks valued at about $100,000.

Kenya is set to destroy 120 tonnes of ivory next month, the largest stockpile to be destroyed by any country.