TNAG-1953-FCO40-2782-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 112

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)..