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Fort Snelling, MN 55111-4056FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 7, 2008
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EA 08-59
West African Art Dealer Sentenced for Illegal Ivory Smuggling
Tania Julie Siyam, a 32-year-old Canadian citizen, was sentenced in Akron, Ohio, yesterday to serve 60 months in prison and pay a $100,000 fine for illegally smuggling ivory from the West African country of Cameroon to the United States. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge John R. Adams, is the result of a multi-year, international investigation by special agents of the U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service, wildlife officials from Environment Canada and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Cleveland, Ohio.
Siyam was indicted by a federal grand jury, in Cleveland, Ohio, on Mar. 3, 2004, on two felony Lacey Act violations and two felony smuggling counts for activities relating to the illegal commercial trafficking of raw African elephant ivory from Cameroon, to the United States. At the time of the indictment, Siyam was being held by Canadian officials for extradition to the United States.
Pursuant to treaties established between the United States and Canada, and following numerous Canadian hearings over nearly four years, Siyam was finally extradited to the United States to face criminal charges on Dec. 21, 2007. On Mar. 21, 2008, Siyam plead guilty in U.S. District Court, Akron, Ohio, to the four federal felony charges.
Tania Siyam originally operated art import and export businesses in Montreal, Canada, and Cameroon that were fronts for smuggling products from endangered and protected wildlife species, including raw elephant ivory.
In summer 2002, Siyam moved her base of operation from Canada, to Cameroon, where her family is originally from. In Cameroon, Siyam orchestrated a sophisticated scheme to smuggle illegal wildlife products by soliciting local artists and craftsmen, operatives within international commercial shipping companies, contacts in the illegal ivory trade, a partner in Canada, a partner in the United States, and, with the assistance of her father, Alphonse Siyam Siwe, the General Manager of Ports in Cameroon from 1998-2005.
As part of her scheme, Siyam operated numerous Internet-based art businesses out of Canada, and Cameroon; and, used other telecommunications to advertise, and sell regulated and protected wildlife products to customers throughout the world
In fall 2002, special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Environment Canada wildlife officials were alerted by concerned citizens that endangered species, including raw elephant ivory, were being advertised for sale on the Internet. Further investigation identified Siyam as the central person involved in the scheme.
During November 2002, with the assistance of a local Ohio business owner, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service special agents were able to purchase a shipment of illegal raw elephant ivory from Siyam. The raw ivory tusks were concealed inside pottery, labeled as art, and sent by international courier from Cameroon, to Montreal, Canada. Once in Canada, the goods were repackaged and shipped by Siyam's Canadian partner, via the Canadian and U.S. Postal Service, to the Ohio business address.
During December 2003, the cooperating Ohio business owner, working with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service special agents, made a second purchase of 125 pounds of illegal raw elephant ivory. Siyam, again operating from Cameroon, shipped the raw elephant ivory by international courier directly to the cooperating Ohio business owner's address. The shipment consisted of three wooden crates, with the raw ivory concealed inside terra cotta flower pots packaged within each crate.
Also in 2003, additional shipments of ivory were sent to other customers, including U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service special agents in New York. Raw Elephant tusks, and elephant ivory carvings, were again concealed inside pottery and declared as art.
By the end of 2003, sufficient evidence had been obtained to charge Siyam with multiple felony Lacey Act and smuggling violations. The two elephant ivory shipments to Ohio were valued together at more than $158,000 and included parts from at least 21 African elephants.
Wild populations of African elephants within central Africa (Cameroon, Gabon and the Congo), the main source of elephant ivory, have dropped by approximately 75 percent in the last 40 years. The main cause for this decline in populations is believed to be the illegal hunting of elephants for the international ivory trade, and for bush meat, which is a lucrative by-product of the illegal ivory trade.
The unauthorized importation and commercialization of African and Asian elephant products including the raw elephant ivory tusks are violations of the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Both the United States and Canada are members of CITES, which regulates, and strictly controls worldwide trade in endangered and threatened species, and prohibits the illegal trade in parts of protected wildlife species such as the Asian and African elephants. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other law enforcement agencies in the 172 CITES member countries work closely together to stop the illegal trade of endangered/protected plants and animals.
The Lacey Act is a federal wildlife protection law, with each violation carrying a maximum fine of $250,000 and/or five years in prison. Felony smuggling counts similarly carry, with each violation, a maximum fine of $250,000 and/or five years in prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Tripi.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov.
The Service investigation documented large-scale ivory smuggling;
such trafficking remains a threat to the African elephant.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo by J&K Hollingsworth
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