SIC Presents Angolan Citizens for Illegal Ivory Possession.

Luanda: Two Angolan citizens were presented by the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) in the municipality of Cacuaco for illegal possession of over a hundred pieces of ivory. The individuals, aged between 31 and 39, were apprehended last Tuesday in Kilamba Kiaxi with 144 items, including rings, bracelets, medals, and hair accessories. According to Angola Press News Agency, the SIC-Geral spokesman, Manuel Halaiwa, stated that the arrests were made during an operation in the Golfe neighborhood. The accused were allegedly caught weighing four pieces of ivory inside a residence, preparing them for sale. The jewelry, carved from ivory sourced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was reportedly acquired from poachers in Cuando Cubango. Halaiwa further explained that the four ivory pieces found in their possession were yet to be processed and weighed 133 kilograms. The ivory accessories were intended for the Asian market. He highlighted that elephants, from which ivory is illegally extracted, are on Angola's red list of endangered species and are protected under the International Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The spokesman urged citizens to report environmental crimes and to participate in the protection and preservation of the country's flora and fauna.