A 66-year-old Chinese woman nicknamed "Ivory queen" has been arrested in Tanzania for heading a multinational smuggling ring involved in the deaths of hundreds of elephants.

On Thursday, Yang Feng Glan appeared in a Dar es Salaam high court with two Tanzanian male accomplices following a year-long investigation spanning different continents.

Like Us on Facebook

Tanzanian authorities say Glan headed an international smuggling ring for 14 years. Between year 2000 to 2014, she illegally exported about 760 tusks worth $2 million (over 19 million yuan) from East Africa to Asia.

Tanzania's National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (NTSCIU) had been monitoring Glan's activities for nearly a year. Last week authorities detained her after surrounding her Dar es Salaam home for seven hours and engaging in a short high speed chase.

"She recently disappeared from Tanzania, moving to Uganda, but returned one week ago, when the task force swiftly moved and arrested her," says U.S. based Elephant Action League.

Glan, a business woman, popular for her Chinese restaurant, used her connections with elites in Africa and Asia to smuggle tusks. She has lived in Tanzania since the 1970s after learning Swahili and working as a translator during China's construction of a railway in the country.

Authorities say Glan sponsored poachers to target elephants - even those living in protected areas. She faces 20 to 30 years in prison in if found guilty of the charges.

Glan is currently in police custody following her appearance in court this week. She has not entered a plea. Reports indicate that she has already admitted to several poaching related crimes.

The elephant population in Tanzania, was one of the biggest in Africa. A census in June revealed that about 60% of the country's elephants have been killed by poachers in the past five years. The population of elephants in the region reduced from 109,051 to 43,330 between year 2009 and 2014.

Authorities say Glan and her network of poachers played a significant role in killing off Tanzania's elephant population. She reportedly helped poachers buy guns and other weapons used in the illicit business. Investigators say Glan also used her restaurant as a cover - she allegedly transported ivory from the hinterland into the city hidden as food supplies.

"It's a very important arrest, the most important in Africa in recent years," Andrea Crosta, Elephant Action League Executive Director said. "The hope is that she will talk and lead the task force not only to her Chinese business partners, but also to local corrupt government officials who probably knew about it, and helped her out."

TagsElephant poaching, Elephant Tusk Smuggling Africa, Tanzania Elephant Poaching, Yang Feng Glan