Six arrested in possession of pangolin scales
Officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service(KWS) on Sunday apprehended six suspects in illegal possession of pangolin scales.
According to a statement by the KWS, the officers nabbed the contraband on Mombasa road stacked in five boxes and loaded in a saloon car while other suspects were in another car.
The car that was carrying the scales is believed to belong to a clearing and forwarding agent based at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport(JKIA).
Six arrested for illegal possession of Pangolin Scales. pic.twitter.com/Fw2bR8IryJ— KWS (@kwskenya) December 27, 2020
The suspects are set to be arraigned on Monday.
The African Wildlife Foundation(AWF), a premier wildlife conservation organisation, lists pangolin as the most trafficked mammal.
The growing demand for pangolin scales and meat is quickly reducing their populations across the African parks where they are dominantly found. Their hunting and trafficking is driven by a false belief that their scales have magical powers against witchcraft. the AWF states.
In Asia where their demand is high, pangolin scales are believed to be a cure for asthma, cancer and among other illnesses.
