Cop among four arrested with rhino horn worth Sh1.5 million in Nairobi
A police officer attached to the National Police Service Hospital in Mbagathi is among four people arrested in possession of a piece of rhinoceros horn valued at approximately Sh1.5 million.
The four were arrested on Thursday, October 29, during a multi-agency operation conducted along Kiambu Road in the Ridgeways area.
The operation, involving officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the National Police Service (NPS), was mounted following actionable intelligence, police said.
Police said the suspects were found in possession of a piece of rhinoceros horn weighing approximately 0.7 kilogrammes, with an estimated street value of Sh1.5 million.
The recovered wildlife trophy was seized and secured as an exhibit.
The four suspects were placed in custody and are being investigated for dealing in wildlife trophies contrary to Section 92(2) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, Cap 376.
Investigations are ongoing. This is the latest such case of poaching and trafficking of the wildlife products amid operations to address the trend.
Like elephant tusks, rhino horns fetch a fortune in the black market as a surge in demand for them in the East continues to fuel the illicit trade in the same, especially from Africa.
Officials say despite a ban on the international trade in the products, the animals are still being poached in large numbers.
As part of efforts to stop the menace, Kenya has started using high-tech surveillance equipment, including drones, to track poachers and keep tabs on elephants and rhinos.
KWS and stakeholders have put in place mechanisms to eradicate all forms of wildlife crime, particularly poaching.
These mechanisms include enhanced community education, interagency collaboration, and intensive intelligence-led operations, among others.
These efforts led to zero rhino poaching in Kenya in 2020-the first time in about two decades.
On April 30, 2016, Kenya set ablaze 105 tonnes of elephant ivory and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta led world leaders and conservationists in burning the remains of 6,500 elephants and 450 rhinos killed for their tusks and horn.
Parliament has also passed strict anti-poaching laws and the government has beefed up security at parks to stop poaching, which threatens the vital tourism industry.
Regionally, Kenya has also emerged as a major transit route for ivory destined for Asian markets from eastern and central Africa.
The illegal ivory trade is mostly fuelled by demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks and rhino horns are used to make ornaments and traditional medicines.
