CONFIDENTIAL
FM KINSHASA
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELNO 09
OF 02065OZ MARCH 89
AND TO ROUTINE BOMBAY
INFO ROUTINE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC 151/1
- 2 MAR 1989
29
171660
MDLIAN 1602
1
1
2/3
YOUR TELNO MISC 142 TO KINSHASA (NOT TO ALL): ZAIRE IVORY TRADE
1. OUR ORIGINAL ENQUIRY (OUR TELNO 03 NOT TO ALL) STEMS FROM A T/X ERRONEOUSLY SENT TO THE EMBASSY FROM
2. WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO TRACE ANY RECORD OF HIS PREVIOUS INVOLVEMENT, LEGITIMATE OR OTHERWISE, IN THE IVORY TRADE. THAT SAID ROUGHLY SIXTY PER CENT OF ALL IVORT EXPORT PERMITS ISSUED HERE ARE UNTRACEABLE. OF THESE WE ESTIMATE THAT NO MORE THAN HALF ARE LEGITIMATE DOCUMENTS THE FILE COPIES OF WHICH HAVE BEEN LOST THROUGH BUREAUCRATIC INEFFICIENCY. THIS STILL LEAVES ROUGHLY ONE THIRD OF ZAIRE'S QUOTE OFFICIAL UNQUOTE IVORY EXPORTS ON THE
WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW.
3. ALTHOUGH WE WILL CONTINUE, WITH THE HELP OF THE AMERICANS, TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE SITUATION HERE, FRANKLY IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT WE WILL GET MUCH FURTHER IN TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING SOLID TO BACK UP OUR SUSPICIONS. YOU AND/OR BOMBAY MAY CARE TO PURSUE AT YOUR END. WE WOULD CERTAINLY BE INTERESTED TO KNOW OF THE OUTCOME IF YOU DO.
4. FOR FCO: WE ARE CURRENTLY COMPILING A REPORT ON IVORY AND RHINO HORN TRADE IN ZAIRE WHICH SHOULD BE WITH YOU BY THE END OF MARCH.
HAY-CAMPBELL
YYYY
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
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THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNDER
FOI EXEMPTION NO...40(2)..