Two males from the Democratic Republic of Congo have been arrested exterior of Seattle final week on prices that they shipped ivory and white rhinoceros horn to the US and had plans to ship extra, federal prosecutors mentioned.
There may be an virtually whole ban on the African elephant ivory commerce in the US. It’s also ruled by worldwide treaty.
Herdade Lokua, 23, and Jospin Mujangi, 31, each of Kinshasa, have been arrested Wednesday exterior Seattle. They’re charged with 11 counts that embody smuggling, cash laundering, and Lacey Act violations for allegedly mendacity about shipments containing unlawful wildlife, the Justice Division mentioned Monday.
They allegedly had the elephant ivory and rhino horn lower into smaller items and painted black, after which combined in with black wooden to cover it.
The boys allegedly paid bribes to officers within the Kinshasa to ship the supplies in a foreign country. In throughout 49 kilos of elephant ivory and 5 kilos of rhino horn was shipped to the U.S., however the males promised they might ship far more, prosecutors mentioned.
It concerned an “unindicted co-conspirator” described in court docket papers as a intermediary who makes use of on-line profiles and related consumers to Lokua and Mujangi. The inquiry additionally concerned undercover U.S. brokers.
“The investigation is ongoing,” the Justice Division mentioned in a press release.
It mentioned {that a} activity pressure within the Democratic Republic of Congo that features its authorities seized greater than 2,000 kilos of ivory and 75 kilos of pangolin scales in Kinshasa value round $3.5 million after the arrests of the 2 males within the U.S.
Lokua and Mujangi have pleaded not responsible, they usually have been ordered held, in response to federal court docket data. Their attorneys didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark late Monday.
In April, Lokua promised the intermediary he’d be capable of ship two tons of elephant ivory, in response to the indictment. Pictures of white rhino horn have been additionally despatched and supplied.
The white rhinoceros was as soon as regarded as extinct, however its inhabitants has rebounded with protections and it’s categorized as “close to threatened,” in response to the World Wildlife Fund. There are solely two northern white rhino alive.
