6 charged with smuggling ivory into U.S.

NEW YORK, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Six people were charged Wednesday with trying to smuggle valuable African elephant ivory illegally into the United States.

Federal authorities said the ivory was brought into New York's Kennedy Airport from Africa in boxes marked "African Wooden Handicraft" and "Wooden Statues," The New York Times reported. Eight shipments were intercepted with one worth $165,000 alone, the Times said.

The ivory was hidden inside various carved and painted objects. Some of the tusks were covered with clay to look like pottery, the Times said.

The arrests, which took place in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Texas, wrapped up a two-year investigation, authorities said. The six suspects were charged with conspiracy to smuggle ivory into the United States and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, if convicted.

"The defendants plundered precious natural resources for personal profit," Benton J. Campbell, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said. "Their illegal trade threatens the continued existence of an endangered species and will not be tolerated."

Poaching of elephants for their valuable tusks has been a major factor in the huge animals' declining population. Importing elephant ivory into the United States was made a crime in 1976.

The six arrested were identified as Bandjan Sidime, 36, a native of Guinea; Kemo Sylla, 32, a native of Liberia; Seidou Mfomboutmoun, 35, of Cameroon; Mamadi Doumbouya, 39, a native of Ivory Coast; and Drissa Diane, 43, and Mamadou Kone, 43, both of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens.