A Kenyan citizen has confessed to trafficking illegal goods to the US Valued at Ksh394 million during a court session at a Manhattan Federal Court on Wednesday, June 1.
The Kenyan, who was part of a syndicate of the US most-wanted individuals, pled guilty to conspiring to traffic in rhinoceros horns and elephant ivory.
The court heard that he was actively involved in the illegal poaching of more than approximately 35 rhinoceros and more than 100 elephants which are considered endangered species.
According to US Attorney Damian Williams, the estimated average retail value of the rhinoceros horn involved in the conspiracy was at least approximately Ksh394 million ($3.4 million).
"The protection of endangered wildlife and natural resources is a crucial and important priority for my Office. These defendants were responsible for furthering an industry that illegally slaughters species protected by international agreements around the world. One of these defendants also engaged in a narcotics conspiracy involving a large quantity of heroin.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, these defendants have now pled guilty to the serious and destructive crimes they committed," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams told the Manhattan Federal Court.
The charge sheet presented in court detailed that the Kenyan citizen was part of a syndicate who were members of a transnational criminal enterprise based in Uganda and surrounding countries that was engaged in the large-scale trafficking and smuggling of rhinoceros horns and elephant ivory.
The syndicate has been in operation since 2012 and was first busted in 2019.
The Kenyan citizen who was blacklisted by the US government further confessed to conspiring to distribute the outlawed heroin drug in the US.
His confession comes just days after Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested a suspect on whom the US placed a Ksh116 million bounty for poaching and drug trafficking.
