Alarm bells as Africa’s illegal ivory processing centres double

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) employee weighs seized ivory tusks on January 21, 2013 at the port of Mombasa. PHOTO FILE | AFP

Just when reports indicate East Africa’s elephant population is rising, thanks to intensified anti-poaching efforts by governments including high-profile arrests and subsequent jail terms, ivory smugglers are resorting to illegal processing sites in Central and West Africa.

At these centres, the cartels turn raw ivory into finished products, which are then shipped to Asian markets.