Police in Kampala has arrested two suspects for illegal possession of chopped ivory worth Sh19m.
Dickson Kwetesa 38, and Ali Wausa 47, where arrested on Tuesday in Kamwokya a Kampala suburb after a tip off from the public that the two were in the trade of ivory.
The suspects are currently held at Jinja road police on charges of illegal possession of wildlife products. The case reference number is 18/14/06/2016 KMP/E.
The Public relations officer, National Resource Conservation Network (NRCN), Laban Muhindo, said the suspects were arrested with 20 kilograms of chopped ivory.
“We managed to arrest them with help of the police flying squad unit. The suspects were carrying two bags filled with chopped ivory”, Muhindo said.
He added that chopped ivory is very easy to transport and it takes an expert to know whether it is ivory or not.
Wausa a resident of Kajjansi denied ownership of the ivory and alleged that he helped out his friends to deliver the merchandise to one of the buyers.
“I told police that this is not my business so they should not implicate me because am just a teacher. Even though we are paid less I cannot indulge myself in such illegal trade”, he said.
His accomplice Dickson Kwetesa, a resident of Kyegegwa alleged to be an informant for UWA.
“I am an informant with UWA, so whenever I suspect people selling wildlife products like ivory, I report to the officials of the organization,” he said.
Muhindo said that information about Kwetesa working with UWA has not been verified. “Kwetesa has been a go between with the buyers and sellers of ivory. Whatever he is saying is still under investigation by the police,” he said. Muhindo urged the public to inform police whenever they see such people suspected to have wildlife products.