One of Malawi’s most notorious wildlife traffickers, Chancy Kaunda, has been arrested in South Africa after spending years on the run and is now expected to be deported to serve an outstanding eight-year prison sentence.

Kaunda, 46, is regarded as a major figure in the illegal ivory trade and is accused of playing a central role in an Asian-led wildlife trafficking syndicate that smuggled huge quantities of elephant tusks across Eastern and Southern Africa between 2002 and 2013.

The arrest follows extensive surveillance by INTERPOL, which tracked his movements and identified his residence in South Africa.

Director of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Brighton Kunchedwa, described the arrest as a major breakthrough in Malawi’s fight against wildlife crime.

“It is true that Kaunda has been arrested in South Africa after years on the run. This is very exciting news for us as a country because it demonstrates Malawi’s commitment to fighting wildlife crime and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice,” said Kunchedwa.

He said the government is now working with South African authorities and INTERPOL to facilitate Kaunda’s deportation to Malawi, where he will be recommitted to prison.

Kaunda and his brother, Patrick, were first arrested in Mzuzu in May 2013 after authorities intercepted a truck carrying 781 elephant tusks weighing 2,640 kilogrammes that had entered Malawi from Tanzania through the Songwe border.

The brothers were convicted in 2019 and initially given an option of paying a K5 million fine each or serving eight years in prison. However, the Supreme Court overturned the fine option in 2020 and ordered them to serve the custodial sentence, prompting the pair to flee.

Investigators have linked the Kaunda brothers to several major international ivory seizures in Tanzania and Singapore. They are also alleged to have facilitated at least 14 ivory shipments through the Malawi-Mozambique-Beira route to Asian markets, disguising the contraband as timber products and stone sculptures.

The re-arrest of Chancy Kaunda marks a significant victory for Malawi’s efforts to dismantle international wildlife trafficking networks and bring high-profile environmental criminals to justice.