A man believed to be a poacher was Saturday May 11 arrested with six elephant tusks in Kirima Olmoran area, Laikipia County.
This was after police raided his house in Olmoran shopping centre .
The officers said they recovered six pieces of ivory concealed inside a green sack of 90 kilograms and a brown sack of 50 kilograms.
The consignment weighed 15 kilograms, police said.
The suspect was detained awaiting to be arraigned on Monday May 13, 2024, police said adding the Value of the consignment is estimated to be Sh1.5 million.
This indicates at least two elephants were killed to fetch the tusks and probably in the nearby Laikipia parks.
The suspect will be arraigned for relevant offences under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013 (WCMA).
They will be charged with dealing in wildlife trophies of an endangered species without a permit or other lawful exemptions, contrary to Section 92(2) as read with Section 105(1) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013.
Elephant tusks fetch a fortune in the black market as a surge in demand for ivory in the East continues to fuel the illicit trade in elephant tusks, especially from Africa.
Officials say despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, African elephants 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.
Kenya Wildlife Service and other 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.
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