(Posted 26th August 2024)
Courtesy of African Elephant News / Stenews and Emmanuel Wanjala, The Star
Detectives are pursuing three suspects linked to the seizure of 84 kilogrammes of ivory in Kibwezi, Makueni county.
Police said the suspects managed to escape, but their accomplice, 57, was arrested during an operation.
The ambush at the Kambu area in Kibwezi subcounty was staged by a multi-agency team comprising sleuths from the DCI Serious Crime Unit and officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service.
“The officers were acting on intelligence, forcing the three suspects to run away, leaving behind the suspect and animal trophies,” the DCI said in a statement.
The ivory cache was wrapped in four nylon gunny bags.
The suspect in custody was arraigned before the JKIA law court, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of dealing in endangered wildlife species, among other charges.
“The matter is slated for mention on August 26, 2024. As the search for the escaped individuals continues, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations will not spare any resources until all are arrested and arraigned,” the DCI said.
Possession of Wildlife Trophies of Endangered Species is prohibited under Section 92(4) of the Act.
The ivory seizure marks a breakthrough in the fight against the sale of endangered wildlife trophies in the country which has continued relentlessly despite heightened surveillance by authorities.
In the last two months alone, there have been at least seven different arrests and seizures of ivory worth millions of shillings.
Police officers were among the suspects in some of the incidents.
On July 18th, police arrested two suspected poachers found in possession of six pieces of elephant tusks in Tigania East, Meru county.
The cache weighing 18.5 kilos was wrapped in four sacks when police and Kenya Wildlife Service officers intercepted them at Muriamburi Junction Mulika area.
On July 3rd, two other suspects, including a police officer, were charged before a Naivasha court with illegal possession and trafficking of elephant tusks worth Sh2.9 million.
On Sunday, June 30th, police had also arrested a villager who was found with 30 kilos of elephant tusks valued at Sh3 million in Keiyo, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
His arrest brought the number of those arrested over the trafficking of ivory around that time to three and the value of the recovered tusks to Sh5.9 million.
On the weekend of June 15th, three police officers and a civilian were also arrested with 29 kg of tusks and 30 bullets, all worth Sh2.9 million.
