Three suspects found with four pieces of elephant tusks were Friday February 23 arrested in Narok following a joint operation by DCI’s Serious Crime Unit detectives and the area police.
The three were arrested at Kisiriri area in Narok North, police said.
The tusks weighing 27 kilograms with an estimated street value of Sh2.7 million was found in their possession.
This indicates at least two elephants were killed to fetch the tusks and probably in the nearby Maasai Mara national reserve.
The three were locked up in cells pending arraignment 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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