20091130

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya has seized 1,100 kg of ivory and arrested 65 people in the past three months in a major international operation stretching across six African nations, its director of wildlife said on Monday.

Julius Kipng'etich of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said the seizures and arrests were carried out in an international operation aimed at tackling wildlife crime in Africa.

"Kenya's elephant population, like those of other African countries, continues to suffer from intensified poaching to supply increasing amounts of ivory to international markets," he said in a statement.

Rising complexity of wildlife crime required a sophisticated law enforcement response, he said, adding the operation involved KWS and Interpol operating across Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.

"(This) is among the biggest hauls ever recorded... it shows the ability and will of law enforcement to tackle wildlife crime effectively," said Peter Younger, Manager of Interpol's Africa wildlife crime program in a statement.

Interpol has been working with African police forces and customs, wildlife and security agencies to target local ivory markets, airports, border crossings and known smuggling points.

Six of those arrested in the exercise, dubbed Operation Costa, were foreign nationals. Firearms, ammunition, vehicles, big cat skins and other illegal wildlife products were also seized.

Almost half the ivory confiscated in Kenya was seized at Nairobi's main airport, Jomo Kenyatta, and authorities believe huge quantities were destined for markets in the Far East.