FEISAL MOHAMMED’S NAME RED FLAGGED BY INTERPOL
(Posted 17th October 2014)
Kenya’s conservation fraternity showed an upbeat mood when news broke yesterday that Feisal Mohammed, a fugitive business tycoon from Mombasa who got away when his alleged accomplices were arrested earlier in the year over a major blood ivory bust on his business premises, is now wanted by Interpol.
Over two tons of blood ivory were confiscated on the 05th of June, the bust comprising of 228 full seized tusks and a further 74 pieces of cut ivory. The Kenyan police was slow in following up on the case and were cited in court where the two suspects are now facing a criminal case, for not doing enough to arrest the alleged mastermind behind the ivory trade. To compound matters, when Kenyan elephant conservation icon Dr. Paula Kahumbu wanted to present a petition to the country’s top cop in Nairobi, did the Inspector General of Police give her the cold shoulder and let her wait for an entire day inspite of his office having confirmed that he would receive her, leading to yet more bad blood between the conservation community and the Kenyan police, which stood and stands accused of doing little to bring the ringleaders of poaching in Kenya to justice.
The international police organization now has an international arrest warrant out on him to widen the search for Feisal, after the Kenyan police failed to arrest him and suggested he had fled the country and is hiding in Tanzania.
With his name ‘red flagged’ will Feisal’s movements and attempts to cross international borders become more difficult, though not entirely impossible if indeed he has, as is alleged, political godfathers shielding him from arrest and facilitating his movements.
Earlier this month did news break that Interpol was sending a team to Nairobi to ensure closer coordination of the fight against wildlife crimes and the illegal trade in ivory and other wildlife trophies and products.
