Tanzania´s Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has suspended 21 wildlife department staff allegedly linked to elephant poaching, Tanzania Daily News reported.
According to the report, members of the ministry´s staff were directly involved in wildlife sabotage and collaborated with poachers.
"The ministry won´t hesitate in dealing with employees who use their position to sabotage the country´s natural resources or anybody partnering with poachers to kill wild animals," Deputy Minister Lazaro Nyalandu was quoted as saying. "Tougher measures are going to be taken against them without any delay," he said.
At the end of last year, Tanzania relaunched a controversial anti-poaching campaign, "Operation Tokomeza" or "Operation Terminate", which reportedly included a shoot-to-kill policy.
According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Tanzania, together with Kenya, have the worst rates of elephant poaching, accounting for 70% of global ivory trade.
According to the report, members of the ministry´s staff were directly involved in wildlife sabotage and collaborated with poachers.
"The ministry won´t hesitate in dealing with employees who use their position to sabotage the country´s natural resources or anybody partnering with poachers to kill wild animals," Deputy Minister Lazaro Nyalandu was quoted as saying. "Tougher measures are going to be taken against them without any delay," he said.
At the end of last year, Tanzania relaunched a controversial anti-poaching campaign, "Operation Tokomeza" or "Operation Terminate", which reportedly included a shoot-to-kill policy.
According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Tanzania, together with Kenya, have the worst rates of elephant poaching, accounting for 70% of global ivory trade.