TANZANIA: Operation On Illegal Use Of Guns In Game Reserves Comming

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ernest Mangu.

OWNERS of firearms living near wildlife reserves have developed a partnership with poachers by lending the latter guns to illegally kill animals, investigations by the police force have revealed.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ernest Mangu told reporters in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday that to fight the alliance between gun owners and poachers, police will launch an operation to collect guns from all legal owners for further inspection on their use.

He warned that people who will be guilty of lending their weapons to poachers, those weapons would be confiscated for breach of agreement on their use. “The situation in which owners of guns living near game reserves lend their weapons to other illegal owners significantly contributes to poaching,” the police chief said.

On Tuesday, Natural Resources and Tourism Minister, Jumanne Maghembe unveiled a plan to establish a special task force to fight crimes related to environmental degradation and killing of wildlife.

According to Mr Mangu, in order to curb poaching, the police forces proposes that people who go for hunting will not be allowed to carry their own guns, instead the guns would be made available for them once they reach the intended hunting grounds.

The new task force to be established would comprise officers from different departments in the ministry, including the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA), Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa), Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) and Tanzania Forest Service Agency (TSF), according to Maghembe.

It would work closely with the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS), criminal justice system, Tanzania Ports Authority, Tanzania Airport Authority, Tanzania Revenue Authority, local and international conservation organizations and other stakeholders