Five arrested with pangolins in Masindi

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Five people have been arrested for illegal possession of pangolins.

The arrested include Yasin Muyiga, Pascal Luyiga,  James Munguuchi,  James Frank and Patrick Alyon.

According to the spokesperson of the Criminal Investigations Department of Police Charles Twine, the suspects were found with three live pangolins in  Masindi district.

The Pangolins are one of the most endangered wildlife species in the country whose meat and its scales are highly valued by Chinese and Vietnamese for medicinal purposes.

Twine says that police are also investigating cases of money laundering against the suspects since most of the people involved in trafficking of wildlife endangered species have also been linked to similar cases and terrorism.

Last month, 37 Chinese were remanded to Kitalya Prison for having six tortoises and over 2000 suspected stolen sim cards that had been registered in Ugandan names.

Last year, three Vietnamese were charged with similar cases after Uganda Revenue Authority seized a contraband shipment of ivory and pangolin scales worth eight million dollars (29.6 billion shillings).

The offence of unlawful possession of wildlife species carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and can only be tried by a Chief Magistrate and above.

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