Chinese ‘Ivory Queen’ Yang Fenglan is jailed for 15 years in Tanzania. Thousands of elephants were slaughtered to fuel her rampant smuggling, activists say
- Yang Fenglan was vice-president of the China-Africa Business Council when she was arrested
- Conservation activists say her conviction is one of the most important cases in years
A Tanzanian court on Tuesday jailed a Chinese woman dubbed the “Ivory Queen” for 15 years for her role in trafficking tusks from more than 400 elephants.
Yang Fenglan, 69, was convicted in Dar es Salaam of trafficking 860 tusks between 2000 and 2014, a haul representing the slaughter of dozens of herds of elephants. But activists said Yang’s network killed thousands of elephants.
Two Tanzanian men were also found guilty for their role in the illegal commerce. Salivius Matembo and Manase Philemon were also jailed for 15 years, after they were convicted of leading an organised criminal gang.
“The prosecution proved the case against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt,” Judge Huruma Shaidi told the court.
Shaidi also ordered the trio to either pay twice the market value of the elephant tusks or face another two years in prison.
Wildlife campaigners have called it one of the most important cases for several years.
