- The suspect is said to have planned to export the shipment to Hungary and UK
- Guinea fowl and butterfly trophies are restricted goods under the East African Community Customs Management Act.
Customs officials at the Lunga Lunga One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) on Thursday intercepted a consignment of dried butterflies and vulturine guinea fowl feathers from Tanga, Tanzania.
The items were 201 pieces of dried butterflies and 20 pieces of vulturine guinea fowl feathers.
The restricted consignment was seized from a passenger suspected to have been planning to export the items to Hungary and the UK.
The passenger was on a Mombasa-bound bus from Tanga. The suspect had a temporary Tanzanian passport and did not have a permit from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and other relevant institutions.
"The officials noticed the suspicious cargo prompting them to physically verify contents of the shipment and later discovered the restricted items," KRA said in a statement to newsrooms.
He had a stamp with the initials of the Director of Veterinary Services, Dar es Salaam.
Documents found on him indicate that the dried butterflies' consignee was in Szombathely, Hungary, while an invoice indicated that the consignor for the vulturine guinea fowl feathers was in Dar es Salaam.
"The suspect has been handed over to Kenya Wildlife Service for further interrogation and action," the Commissioner for Customs and Border Control said.
Guinea fowl and butterfly trophies are restricted goods under the East African Community Customs Management Act.
KRA is a custodian of the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species and other local and international laws.
The revenue collector has lately intercepted consignments of game trophies and other artifacts.