Three tonnes of pangolin scales seized at Thai airport

By Megan Charles

2 February 2017 • 8:17pm

Thai authorities on Thursday displayed to journalists nearly 3 tonnes of scales from pangolins, the world's most poached animal, seized in anti-smuggling operations since December.

The scales, worth more than $800,000, were shipped from Africa and confiscated by police, customs and wildlife officials at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Thai customs chief Kulit Sombatsiri told reporters that an estimated 6,000 pangolins were killed to produce almost 3 tonnes of scales, which are used in traditional medicines in Asia.

A ban on global trade of pangolins took effect in January after tougher international protection was agreed last September for the eight species of the mammal, which curls up in a ball when threatened by predators.

Like other illicit wildlife commodity pipelines, such as elephant ivory and rhino horn, Africa is the main source of pangolin supply, while the demand comes from Asia.

The nocturnal animals, also called scaly anteaters because of their diet, are increasingly being targeted for their meat and scales, the World Wildlife Fund says on its website, with their status ranging from vulnerable to critically endangered.

Pangolins are in high demand in countries like China and Vietnam, it added, with their meat considered a delicacy and their scales used in folk remedies for ailments such as asthma, rheumatism and arthritis.

Seizures represent as little as a tenth of the actual volume of pangolins in illegal wildlife trade, the Fund said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/02/three-tonnes-pangolin-scales-seized-thai-airport/

Indian businessman arrested at Malawi airport for attempting to externalise K504 mil

January 1, 2017 Maurice Nkawihe - Nyasa Times

A 38 year-old  Malawian businessman of Indian Origin has been arrested for attempting to externalize foreign currency amounting to about K504 million.

Police officers at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA ) arrested  Iqbar Sodagar Moinuddian Mohmad after being found in possession of US$622,820, 2,015 British Pounds and 15,860 Euros.

Sergeant Suplain Chitonde disclosed that Mohmad was arrested at the departures Lounge before boarding an Aircraft to Dubai through Ethiopian Airways.

“He had refused his bag to go through the X-ray machine or to be physically searched by the Police Officers manning the checkpoint,” said Chitonde.

“As a result, the Police Officers on duty became suspicious and conducted a thorough search whereby the said forex was found packed in his bag.”

The 15 bricks of Gold weighing 14 Kilograms which were concealed in the bag was found wrapped in specially designed materials in order to beat the normal X-ray machine system.

Currently, the suspect is in Police custody at KIA and has admitted to have accumulated the forex from black market, without supporting documents.

In relation to the 15 breaks of Gold, he claims to have bought it from an undisclosed Nigerian within Lilongwe.

Mohmad is expected to appear before court soon to answer three counts of illegal possession of foreign currency , attempting to externalise forex and money laundering.

Mohmad was born in 1979 at a place called Maharashtra in Mumbai, India. He holds an Indian passport, but has stayed in Lilongwe Area 2, for nearly 20 years.

More at: https://www.nyasatimes.com/indian-businessman-arrested-malawi-airport-attempting-externalise-k504-mil/#sthash.pZrCLEPA.dpuf

Zimbabwe: Man Jailed On for Fraud, Money Laundering

By Fidelis Munyoro

Harare businessman Arthur Chikukwa has been jailed for an effective four years after being convicted of fraud and money laundering. He swindled a prospective coal miner of over $2,7 million in a botched mining deal.

Chikukwa had denied the charges when the trial began in October this year in the High Court, but Justice Tawanda Chitapi convicted him after a full trial.

He slapped him with 10 years’ imprisonment, of which two years were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

A further four years were set aside on condition Chikukwa pays restitution of $225 000 to the complainant, Light Glass Enterprise (Pvt) Ltd, through the Registrar of the High Court by no later than December 31 next year.

An order of compensation was also granted to the firm in terms of Section 362 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act in the sum of $54 118,57.

Chikukwa successfully pleaded with the court to allow him time to pay compensation before sentence was announced. Justice Chitapi noted that the direct prejudice suffered by the firm after recovery of his $2 500 000 valued property was $225 000.

This was the figure he considered as the firm's loss in assessing appropriate sentence.

"Society expects people to deal with each other at arm's length or with goodwill, trust and honesty," said Justice Chitapi.

"The accused has fallen from grace in this case. No lengthy sentence will punish him more than his fall from grace."

Justice Chitapi also tempered the sentence he imposed with a degree of mercy. During trial, Chikukwa's efforts to convince the court that the matter was civil failed.

Charges against Chikukwa arose sometime in 2014, when he misrepresented to Salim Suleman Desai that he was selling his coal-mining concession in Tuli, Matabeleland South Province, held under Special Grant No. 5341 called Rockrabbit Investments (Pvt) Ltd.

The court heard between July 2014 and December 2015, the parties sealed the deal, culminating in Desai handing over to Chikukwa house number 30 Stonechat Lane, Borrowdale in Harare, a Toyota Prado, a Toyota Lexus and $125 000, with the hope he would fulfil his side of the agree- ment.

When Chikukwa made the said misrepresentations, he knew he had not obtained authority to sell the said special grant to Light Glass.

The court also heard that when Chikukwa made the decision to sell the special grant to Desai, he acted fraudulently by "ceding or assigning any rights without authority from the President of Zimbabwe".

In respect of the money laundering charge, the court heard that during the same period, Chikukwa received, possessed, concealed and disposed of the two motor vehicles, cash and a residential stand knowing or suspecting that, at the time of receipt of such property, the said money and goods were proceeds of crime.

UNODC Sub-regional Workshop on Taking Proceeds from Wildlife Crime: 22 – 25 November 2016

Pretoria, South Africa. Established in 1997, UNODC’s Global Programme against Money Laundering, Proceeds of Crime and the Financing of Terrorism (GPML) seeks to assist member states in complying with all UN Conventions and other instruments that concern Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Funding (CTF). Operating notably under the mandate of the 2000 Palermo Convention, the 2003 Merida Convention, and the 40 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, its purpose is to raise awareness, build institutions, and train legal, financial, and law enforcement authorities at a national/regional level to develop necessary AML/CFT infrastructure to effectively address all GPML-related activities within their jurisdictions.  

With the above considered, UNODC’s Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSAF) recently hosted a 4-day Sub-regional Workshop on Taking Proceeds from Wildlife Crime, aimed at developing participant understanding of the integral role wildlife trafficking plays in global organised crime (with specific focus on Southern Africa’s rhino poaching and illegal ivory trade, which has been linked to funding terrorism). The workshop followed up on the recommendations and outcomes of the 2014 Recovering Proceeds from Wildlife and Timber Trafficking: African and Asian Experiences, and the 2015 Typology Study produced by the Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), to ensure steady regional plan for future operations.

Walking into the conference room consisting mostly of circular tables, participants were made well aware of the fact that this would be an interactive session demanding attention to guest-speaker presentations, and engagement with fellow seated finance/legal representatives hailing from all across the Southern Africa region. A hush fell over the jargon-filled conversations as host speakers began the busy work week.

Each workshop day, though mentally demanding, was stimulating and rich of resources. Participants were exposed to new knowledge, specialised techniques, and had to analyse real-life case studies to better identify organised crime in their jurisdictions, and quicker seize/confiscate proceeds of crime through improved inter-agency coordination. UNODC Adviser for Asset Forfeiture, AML, and Proceeds of Crime Fitz-Roy Drayton recounted the effectiveness of such coordination where the Asset-Recovery Inter-Agency Network for Southern Africa (ARINSA) efforts froze suspected Mauritian assets held in Switzerland in less than a week of notification (where coordinating and engaging with international authorities can take years).

Apart from having possibly met new contacts and receiving a certificate of attendance on the last day, participants also walked away with understanding of the complex value chain that gets Africa’s high supply of wildlife products to Asia’s high-demand markets for such illegal goods, the shocking level of money being made on such activities (where illegal logging itself contributes to an annual revenue of USD 380 million), incarcerating suspects who only play small parts in organised-crime activities, and the possible long-term effects it has on the environment (where illegal logging causes less production of oxygen, and ecosystems permanently damaged by human activity).

NB. For more pictures please go to http://arinsa.org/mod/lightboxgallery/view.php?id=116

Africa / 21 November 2016, 11:24am

Tony Carnie

Photo: Reuters/David W Cerny

Durban - “Notice to rhino poaching syndicates: you may wish to reconsider your plans to keep smuggling horns from South Africa via Maputo Airport.”

This is the underlying message from a major world airlines association’s announcement on new anti-smuggling measures at Mozambique’s largest airport.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata), which represents 265 airlines and 83% of global air traffic, says it has chosen Maputo International Airport to test new wildlife anti-trafficking measures. Maputo, and the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, have long been regarded as major smuggling exit points for rhino horns, elephant ivory and other wildlife contraband.

Several rhino horn “kingpins” are believed to be based in Maputo, from where they recruit and co-ordinate daily rhino poaching raids into the Kruger National Park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and other South African game reserves.

Now Iata has announced that it is working with the World Customs Organisation and donor groups in the US to pilot a new airport wildlife trafficking “assessment tool” in Maputo. The association said it hoped to roll out similar measures at other airports from next year.

Speaking at an illegal wildlife trade conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, last week, Iata chief Alexandre de Juniac said the association was working closely with the World Customs Organisation, the Cites wildlife trade body and other groups “to make the the world a much more difficult place for wildlife traffickers”.

“Actors in the air transport sector can serve as the eyes and ears of enforcement agencies and be valuable partners in the efforts to eliminate wildlife trafficking from supply chains. This assessment tool will enable them to identify weak points in procedures and practices exploited by traffickers, as well as ways of strengthening them,” the organisation’s secretary-general Kunio Mikuriya said.

A recent report by rhino expert Richard Emslie identifies Mozambique as one of the “priorities of greatest concern” in the illegal trade in rhino horn. He said rhino horns from South Africa were typically smuggled to Asia via the Maputo, Nampula and Pemba airports.

Asian criminal networks were “heavily involved” in rhino trafficking in South Africa and Mozambique, with at least 59 Asian nationals arrested in both countries since 2010. They included 35 Vietnamese, 21 Chinese, two Thais and one Malaysian.

In May 2015, 65 rhino horns (and 1 160kg of elephant ivory) were seized from two Chinese nationals in Mozambique. Emslie said both suspects were released and it was not clear whether they were ever prosecuted.

Businessman convicted of swindling coal miner $2,7 million

BY CHARLES LAITON

November 17, 2016

A HARARE businessman, Arthur Chikukwa, was last weekend convicted of fraud and money laundering for swindling a prospective coal miner of over $2,7 million in a botched mining deal, by High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi.

The businessman is now set to be sentenced on Monday after he successfully pleaded with the court to allow him time to pay compensation before the pronouncement of the sentence.

Chikukwa’s efforts to convince the court that the matter was a civil one failed to yield results, as the judge concluded it was a criminal issue.

In mitigation, through his lawyer, Chikukwa said he would surrender house number 30 Stonechat Lane, Borrowdale in Harare, a Toyota Prado, a Toyota Lexus and $125 000 cash to the complainant, Salim Suleman Desai of Lightglass Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd.

Justice Chitapi granted the application for postponement of sentencing, urging Chikukwa to make good his reimbursement plea, so as to enable the court to consider the position before determining the sentence.

Circumstances leading to Chikukwa’s conviction were that sometime in 2014, he misrepresented to Desai that he was selling his coal-mining concession in Tuli, Matabeleland South province, held under Special Grant number 5341 called Rockrabbit Investments (Pvt) Ltd.

The court heard between July 2014 and December 2015, the parties sealed the deal, culminating in Desai giving Chikukwa house number 30 Stonechat Lane, Borrowdale in Harare, a Toyota Prado, a Toyota Lexus and $125 000, with the hope the latter would fulfil the agreement.

Prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema told the court that when Chikukwa made the said misrepresentations, he knew he had not obtained authority to sell the said special grant to Lightglass.

Kasema also told the court that when Chikukwa made the decision to sell the special grant to Desai, he acted fraudulently by “ceding or assigning any rights without authority from the President of Zimbabwe”.

In respect of the money-laundering charge, the State presented that during the same period, Chikukwa received, possessed, concealed and disposed of the two motor vehicles, cash and a residential stand knowing or suspecting that, at the time of receipt of such property, the said money and goods were proceeds of crime.

Read More: https://www.newsday.co.zw/2016/11/17/businessman-convicted-swindling-coal-miner-27-million/

Pretoria — A Hawks investigation has led to the arrest of a suspect and seizure of almost R5.3 million in cash.

The Hawks also recovered several ID documents during the operation in Belhar, in Cape Town, on Monday.

The suspect (33), who was arrested, is allegedly running an illicit licensing and police clearance operation.

Acting Head of the Hawks in the Western Cape, Brigadier Mzwandile Ndlovu, praised the members for the arrest.

"This is undoubtedly a telling blow to the underworld, we remain unequivocal in the fight against organized crime as it ranks very high in our mandate," Ndlovu said.

The suspect is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Tuesday facing money laundering, corruption and racketeering.

Police say they are continuing with the investigations as the possibilities of more arrests cannot be ruled out.

Read More: http://allafrica.com/stories/201611140655.html

HARARE – Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Dr Godfrey Gandawa, who was arrested on Friday on fraud charges, was yesterday released on US$500 bail with stringent conditions.

Dr Gandawa, his boss Professor Jonathan Moyo, and Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund principal director Mr Nicholas Mapute stand accused by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission of siphoning about US$450 000 from Zimdef.

However, Prof Moyo did not show up at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts both on Friday and yesterday as it turned out that he had never been formally summoned. The Constitutional Court has since suspended charges against him until determination of his application challenging the constitutionality of the arrest.

As such presiding officer, Mr Vakayi Chikwekwe dismissed the State’s application for a warrant of arrest for Prof Moyo.

Granting bail to Dr Gandawa and Mr Mapute, the magistrate said the State’s fears that the accused would interfere with witnesses were speculative, and instead imposed stringent bail conditions.

“An analysis of all submissions made has persuaded me to grant liberty pending trial to accused one (Dr Gandawa) as has been done with accused number three Nicholas Mapute and one Fredrick Mandizvidza who is facing similar allegations in another case.

“The two accused are hereby admitted to bail on the following conditions: each is ordered to deposit US$500 bail with the clerk of court Harare, each is ordered to reside at the given address until the matter is finalised.

“Each is ordered never to interfere with investigations and each accused are ordered to surrender their passports to the clerk of court Harare. Accused one (Dr Gandawa) is ordered to report every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Highlands Police Station.”

Prof Moyo and Dr Gandawa face five counts of criminal abuse of duty as public officers, three of fraud and another three of money laundering. Dr Gandawa is also facing four counts of corruptly concealing from a principal a personal interest in a transaction.

A report released by ZACC points to corrupt and fraudulent transactions involving the Higher and Tertiary Education Ministry, Zimdef, Wisebone Trading and Fuzzy Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. Dr Gandawa owns Fuzzy Technologies. – Sunday News

Embraer to pay more than $205 million to resolve corruption charges in 4 countries

By AB Wire | October 24, 2016

Embraer S.A , the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, has entered into a resolution to resolve criminal charges and agreed to pay a penalty of more than $205 million in connection with schemes involving the bribery of government officials in the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia and Mozambique, and to pay millions more in falsely recorded payments in India via a sham agency agreement. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Special Agent in Charge William J. Maddalena of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement, on Monday. “Embraer paid millions of dollars in bribes to win government aircraft contracts in three different continents,” said Caldwell, in a statement. “But this prosecution shows that the Criminal Division will hold accountable those who treat corruption as a mere cost of doing business. Between U.S., Brazilian and Saudi authorities, bribe payers and bribe takers alike have been brought to justice for their wrongdoing.” According to the company’s admissions, Embraer executives and employees paid bribes to government officials and falsified books and records in connection with aircraft sales to foreign governments and state-owned entities in multiple countries, the Justice Department noted. In 2008, Embraer paid $3.52 million to an influential government official in the Dominican Republic via a false agency agreement to secure a contract to sell the Dominican Air Force eight military aircraft for approximately $92 million. In 2010, Embraer paid $1.65 million to an official at a Saudi Arabian state-owned and -controlled company via a false agency agreement to secure that instrumentality’s agreement to purchase three aircraft from Embraer for approximately $93 million. In 2008, Embraer paid $800,000 via a false agency agreement with an intermediary designated by a high-level official at Mozambique’s state-owned commercial airline, Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique S.A. (LAM), to secure LAM’s agreement to purchase two aircraft from Embraer for approximately $65 million. In 2009, Embraer paid an agent $5.76 million pursuant to a false agency agreement with a shell company in connection with a contract it secured to sell the Indian Air Force three aircraft for approximately $208 million. In total, Embraer earned profits of nearly $84 million on the foregoing aircraft sales. Embraer entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) to resolve the case. As part of the DPA, Embraer admitted to its involvement in a conspiracy to violate the FCPA’s anti-bribery and books and records provisions and to its willful failure to implement an adequate system of internal accounting controls. Embraer agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $107,285,090; continue to cooperate with the department’s investigation; enhance its compliance program; implement a more adequate system of internal accounting controls; and retain an independent corporate compliance monitor for a term of three years. In related matters, Embraer reached settlements with both the SEC and Brazilian authorities. Embraer reached a settlement with the SEC, under which it agreed to pay $83.8 million in disgorgement and $14.4 million in prejudgment interest. The SEC has agreed to credit the disgorgement that Embraer pays to Brazilian authorities. Embraer also reached a settlement with Brazilian authorities under which it agreed to pay $20 million in disgorgement. With the cooperation of U.S. authorities, Brazilian authorities have charged 11 individuals for their alleged involvement in Embraer’s misconduct in the Dominican Republic. Saudi Arabian authorities have charged two individuals for their alleged involvement in Embraer’s misconduct in Saudi Arabia.

Read More: https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2016/10/24/embraer-to-pay-more-than-205-million-to-resolve-corruption-charges-in-4-countries418570/#.WBBbesmmrCE

Synthetic rhino horn ready 'in two years'

By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, Johannesburg

• 5 October 2016

The question of synthetic rhino horn has been discussed at the Cites meeting in Johannesburg

The man behind attempts to develop synthetic rhino horn has told the BBC that he hopes to have a "bio-identical" product ready to market in two years.

Matthew Markus, CEO of Pembient, believes that introducing a highly similar but manufactured horn could help stem the rhino-poaching crisis.

Here at the Cites meeting the plans have been condemned by conservationists as "too risky".

Campaigners want the species body to ban synthetics from endangered animals.

Rhino start-up

Over the years, the development of human-made alternatives to some natural species has seen some success.

Orchids produced in the laboratory have served as an alternative for collectors while a synthesised version of the chemical that's found in bear bile has been accepted in traditional Chinese medicine.

Now, a number of start-ups are seeking to develop alternatives for rhino horn and elephant ivory.

The most advanced is said to be a company called Pembient who believe they are very close to producing solid, horn-like material.

"Earlier this year, we produced low fidelity prototypes, they are solids but they don't have all the properties of rhino horn and we are working now to produce these high quality bio-identical solids," CEO Matthew Markus told BBC News at the Cites meeting.

The price of rhino horn can range up to $60,000 per kg

"The higher fidelity prototypes may take two years and that's unless all this flak scares investors off."

The "flak" that Mr Markus is talking about is the opposition from conservationists and wildlife campaigners to his ideas.

They are concerned about anything that could make the current rhino poaching surge worse.

The number of rhinos killed for their horns has risen dramatically over the past nine years. In 2007, just 13 rhinos were killed in South Africa. Last year, that number was 1,175.

At a side event here in Johannesburg, campaigners vociferously denounced the synthetic rhino idea.

"We are very concerned that these synthetic products would provide a cover for illegal trade," said Lee Henry from WWF.

"How are enforcement officers on the ground supposed to distinguish between the two?"

Illicit market

But for Mr Markus, that inability to readily differentiate between his product and the real thing is exactly what he's hoping to achieve.

"This is an illicit market, these people are not supported by states, so here counterfeits especially if they are exactly the same should have a very disruptive effect.

Rhino horns are sometimes trimmed for safety in transport

"The only thing that guarantees that you are getting the product you think you are getting is the product itself, if you can destroy the uniqueness of that product through bio-fabrication, I think that's a win."

Mr Markus acknowledges that his approach is not without risk - but he maintains that the synthetic model has been well scrutinised and is less of a threat than his opponents maintain.

But campaigners are not convinced. They are concerned that the synthetic materials could inspire new markets and make the situation for the rhino even worse.

"In traditional medicines, people prefer wild products, that's seen as more valuable - they don't want products from farms or synthetic markets," said Lee Henry.

"For a species like rhino that are being decimated by poaching for their products, do we want to test this now? I think it's too big a risk to take, history has shown that when you create alternative products it doesn't reduce demand for the genuine article."

Rhino poaching has soared over the past nine years

Here at Cites some countries have argued that synthetic products derived from endangered species should come under the regulations of the Convention.

So if something is made from the DNA of a rhino that is on Appendix I, then all trade in those synthetic products should be banned as well.

The Cites secretariat will assess the position but it will be next year before there is any clarity on whether they have the power to regulate or not.

Matthew Markus says he will accept any outcome based on science and impartial regulation. But banning his products, if they ever reach the market, would be a mistake he says, if people are serious about stopping rhino poaching.

"The fastest way to shut a market down is to support counterfeiters and not prosecute them."