US court jails rhino horn and elephant ivory trafficker

A court in Manhattan sentenced 49-year-old Moazu Kromah to 63 months of prison time after finding him guilty of trafficking animal parts.

Kromah was part of a conspiracy that transported, distributed, sold, or smuggled at least 190 kilograms of rhinoceros horns, and at least 10 tons of elephant ivory.

What was he found guilty of?

The 49-year-old admitted that he participated in a scheme that moved rhinoceros horn worth some $4 million (€3.97 million) and elephant ivory worth at least $3.4 million.

Prosecutors said he had participated with several other individuals in wildlife trafficking.

The scheme, which lasted from December 2012 through to at least May 2019, involved the illegal poaching of over 35 rhinoceros and more than 100 elephants.

The items were shipped from various countries in East Africa to buyers in the United States and countries in Southeast Asia, prosecutors said.

During the investigation, packages containing rhinoceros horn bound for Manhattan buyers were intercepted.

Officials said some of the animal parts were hidden in pieces of art such as African masks and statues.

Kromah — a Liberian citizen living in Uganda — was extradited from the west African country to the United States in June 2019.

Judge Gregory H. Woods. said it was necessary to send a "loud and clear message'' that large-scale wildlife trafficking crimes would result in serious consequences.

Kromah is one of five men accused of being part of the smuggling enterprise. 

Two men have already pleaded guilty to the charges against them in the US, while two others have reportedly been arrested.

rc/kb (AP, AFP)