A Kenyan man has pleaded not guilty in a US court to trafficking illegal ivory and rhino horn. Mansur Mohamed Surur was part of an “international conspiracy” responsible for the slaughter of more than 100 elephants and dozens of rhinos, federal prosecutors in New York say. It allegedly amounts to an estimated $7.4m (£5.4m) amassed over seven years. Some exports were hidden inside “pieces of art such as African masks and statues”, court documents allege. Money was paid to and from foreign customers by “international wire transfers, some which were sent through US financial institutions”, prosecutors say. Mr Surur was arrested last year in the Kenyan city of Mombasa and extradited to the US to face trial in New York. He also faces charges of money laundering and drug dealing. (BBC)…[+]