TANZANIA airports regulator has denied allowing the smuggling of wildlife from a park in the northern region to Middle East countries.
It follows allegations on social media that the wild animals were being trafficked on cargo planes from Loliondo, near the famous Serengeti National Park, to the United Arab Emirates.
Read also: Tunisia Military Court Sentences Politician To Four Years In Prison
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) said the accusations were “completely false” and noted that the airport in Loliondo was not a designated entry or exit point.
Read also: Sudan Army Drones Hit Mourners And Fuel Market Killing More Than 300 People
There were allegations that a plane carrying wildlife had been seen on 26 August, but TCAA said the last flight to Loliondo was on 19 July with ordinary cargo.
Read also: Guinea Ex-Magistrate, Lamine Bangoura Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison
“The authority has a real-time monitoring system and all international flights enter and exit through designated entry/exit airports such as Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) and Aman Abeid Karume International Airport (AAKIA),” it said in a statement.
It said the reports were aimed at soiling the image of the country and urged Tanzanians to ignore them.
