Rangers nab three, recover jumbo tusks

By LEONARD KORIR

Narok, Kenya: Three people have been arrested in possession of 10kg of elephant tusks in Narok County.

Narok County rangers arrested the three, including a woman, on Sunday night at a village in Trans Mara West District.

The rangers led by Mara conservancy warden, Joshua Ole Naiguran, recovered the tusks at Nkararu in Keyian Division following a tip-off from an informer in the area.

Mr Naiguran said they arrested the suspects after he posed as a buyer and was introduced to Dorothy Kwamboka who had the tusks.

He met Kwamboka in Kilgoris town where they struck a deal to buy and transport the ivory.

“In order to build trust with the woman, I had to part with Sh10,000 in cash to show my commitment to the transaction. Shortly after I alerted my colleagues who followed us secretly as we headed to a homestead near Nkararu Trading Centre where the consignment was,” he said.

Naiguran said the woman told him how she has managed on more than four occasions to ferry elephant tusks in the area with ease.

Rangers who had taken cover in a thicket ambushed them shortly after they left the homestead with the consignment. Trans Mara police boss, Alfred Muthua, and area DCIO, Alfred Ouko, suspected the ivory was from elephants in the nearby Maasai Mara National Game Reserve.

Mr Muthua warned that  security personnel in the area would not relent in the fight against poaching.

“Security agencies in the district are working together to ensure ivory traders and poachers are arrested and dealt with accordingly. We cannot sit back and watch as this disturbing practice continues,” said Muthua.

He said the suspects would be arraigned in court and charged with poaching and trading in game trophies.