A suspected elephant tusk trafficker was shot dead during an undercover operation by officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service in Nyeri County.
According to police, the incident occurred at Babito area within Kieni West Sub-County during a covert operation involving Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers from the Aberdare National Park headquarters.
The officers were acting on intelligence that a suspect was in possession of two elephant tusks believed to be intended for illegal sale.
Investigators said the officers posed as buyers and arranged a meeting with the suspect, who arrived carrying the tusks.
One of the rangers reportedly acted as the buyer while the other officers monitored the operation from a distance.
During the encounter, the suspect allegedly noticed the ranger’s Jericho pistol and attempted to grab it, triggering a struggle between the two.
Police said two rounds from the 9mm firearm were discharged during the confrontation, fatally injuring the suspect after he was shot in the head.
The man died at the scene.
Authorities recovered the two elephant tusks as exhibits, while the body was moved to the Nyeri County Referral Hospital mortuary pending identification and a postmortem examination.
The incident is under investigation. It is not clear what happened with the tusks that the suspect was intending to trade.
Police were called to the scene and declared an investigation was ongoing.
Elephant tusks continue to 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 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.
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