Friday, April 15, 2005

Sting in Addis Ababa Yields Ivory Stash

Ethiopian authorities have seized more than 500kg of illegal ivory, stuffed animals and ostrich eggs that were destined for collectors abroad, a police officer said on Thursday.

Police raided more than 66 shops in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, where they found the illegal wildlife products in January, but had only just finished assessing and cataloguing them, Inspector Tesfaye Eshete said.

All the shop owners were arrested and then released on bail. They face a $550 fine and two years in jail.

"This is one of the largest raids we have ever conducted," said Mohammed Abdi, a senior expert with Ethiopia's Wildlife and Conservation Authority.

Independent Online

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