The Zambian government are investigating some diplomats who recently attempted to illegally export ivory, the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.

The suspects, whose identity has been withheld, were intercepted two weeks ago at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, and they pleaded diplomatic immunity when they were probed. The ivory was valued 140, 000 U. S. dollars and weighed 27 kg. Minister of Tourism and Arts Sylvia Masebo said the Ministry of Home Affairs had given a go ahead to the probe into the incident.

"The last arrest which was done at the airport involved some diplomats, so we needed to get some clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs for police to conduct interviews so that they can establish who the owner of the tusks was and where those tusks were going," she told the daily.

The Zambian minister sad a number of arrests have since been made and expressed concern that poaching was on the increase in the country because the demand for elephant tusks, lion bones and the big five animas has risen.

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