The Tanzanian authorities seized an unspecified quantity of ivory and animal bones at Dar es Salaam Airport today, coming from Mozambique.

According to the local authorities, the cargo, declared to be seafood, was the responsibility of a passenger who had boarded a flight from Pemba, in Cabo Delgado province, to Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania.

A joint statement issued this afternoon by Mozambique Airlines (LAM) and Mozambique Airports also confirmed the seizure, saying, without giving any further details, that "the competent authorities are currently investigating the circumstances in which this cargo was transported from Pemba to Dar es Salaam".

Poaching in the country has been a serious threat to wildlife, but the authorities estimate that elephant slaughters have decreased in recent years as a result of enforcement and conservation efforts.