27/06/2026
Ivory Kingpin Re-Arrested in South Africa as Malawi Faces Fresh Wildlife Justice Questions
By Our Reporter
One of Malawi's most wanted ivory traffickers has been re-arrested in South Africa, reigniting debate over the country's commitment to tackling organised wildlife crime amid growing scrutiny of the Director of Public Prosecutions' (DPP) decision to discontinue a high-profile wildlife corruption case.
Forty-six-year-old Chancy Kaunda, who had been on the run for years, was arrested following an INTERPOL-led operation after investigators traced him to South Africa.
Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) Director Brighton Kunchedwa confirmed the arrest, describing it as a major breakthrough.
"It is true that Chancy 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," Kunchedwa said.
He said Malawi is now working with South African authorities and INTERPOL to deport Kaunda so he can begin serving an outstanding eight-year prison sentence.
Court records show Kaunda and his brother Patrick were first arrested in 2013 after authorities intercepted a truck carrying 781 elephant tusks weighing 2.64 tonnes that had entered Malawi from Tanzania. Investigators said the brothers admitted they had been hired by Chinese nationals Steve Wang and Peter Wang to transport the ivory.
The brothers were convicted in 2019. Although initially given the option of paying MK5 million fines, Malawi's Supreme Court in 2020 ordered them to serve eight years in prison. They disappeared before reporting to prison, prompting an international manhunt.
Investigators have long linked the Kaunda brothers to one of Southern Africa's largest ivory trafficking networks, allegedly working with the Wang brothers to move ivory from Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique to Asian markets.
