Police on Saturday arrested five suspects found in possession of two elephant tusks weighing 18 kilograms in Kajiado county.
The five including a deputy headteacher at a local primary school identified as Nelson Wuantai Njiraini were nabbed by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Others are Samson Ntinga, Francis Lakati Ngarua, Dickson Kirinkol and Emmanuel Kantet Swankei.
According to the DCI, the five had gone to the town looking for a potential buyer when they were arrested.
They were using a Toyota Probox bearing registration number KCB 980D and a motorbike when the detectives pounced on them.
The DCI said the car is owned by the teacher.
Read: Wanted Kenyan Fugitive Mansur Surur Arrested at Mombasa Airport After Landing From Yemen
“All placed in custody pending arraignment, with the KWS Intelligence & Investigation Unit notified for further procedural action, ” said DCI.
The arrest comes barely a month after an elephant was found killed by suspected poachers at Emotoroki area in the county.
Five suspects found in possession of two Jumbo Tusks weighing 18Kg in Kajiado were yesterday arrested by a joint team of @kwskenya & @DCI_Kenya Detectives based in Kajiado,barely a month after an elephant was found killed by suspected poachers at Emotoroki area in Kajiado County. pic.twitter.com/r59mfiLtFS
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) August 9, 2020
…& a motorbike make Captain KMCU 851S, the 5 had gone to the town seeking for a potential buyer when detectives pounced on them & made the recovery.
All placed in custody pending arraignment, with the KWS Intelligence & Investigation Unit notified for further procedural action
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) August 9, 2020
Cases of poaching are not new in the country with several individuals linked to illegal act having been arrested in the past.
On July 29, detectives based in Mombasa arrested 60-year-old Mansur Mohamed Surur, aka “Mansour”, a Kenyan citizen and wanted fugitive in the U.S. for alleged involvement in trafficking of drugs and participating the illegal trade of rhino horns and elephant ivory valued at more than Ksh700,000,000 ($7 million).
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