Three arrested with ivory tusks valued at Sh4 million

Police in Trans Nzoia County have arrested three people and seized eight pieces of elephant tusks weighing 48 kilos with a street value of Sh4.8 million.

County Commander Mr. Fredrick Ochieng said police and Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) rangers intercepted the illegal ivory and nabbed the suspects following a tip that the men were planning to sell the consignment.

Ochieng said officers posed as potential buyers of the tusks and managed to apprehend the suspects.

"Police officers and KWS officials posed as buyers and managed to intercept eight pieces of elephant tusks and arrested the three," said Ochieng.

The county Commander said the recovered tusks were fresh, suggesting that they had been obtained from elephants which had been killed recently.

"The tusks are fresh and indicate that they had been sourced from elephants killed recently. We are yet to establish their originality," he said.

He said the suspects will be arraigned for trading in illegal ivory after completion of investigations.
"We will arraign them in court to face the charge of illegal trading of ivory once investigations are complete," he said.

The officer commended members of the public for providing vital information that helped them nab the suspects and recover the tusks.

"We appreciate the community for working with security agents and such collaboration will help us tame poaching which has endangered many wildlife," said Ochieng.

The suspects had delivered the tusks for sale in Kitale town.