A swift and coordinated operation by officers from Lungalunga Police Station, alongside Kenya Wildlife officers from Nairobi and Mombasa, saw the arrest of two wildlife traffickers and the recovery of elephant tusks with an estimated street value of Sh5.8 million.
Acting on a tip-off, the officers swooped in and intercepted a red motorcycle ridden by Ali Salim, 32, with a pillion passenger Jackson Kitsao, 53, and a sack of charcoal.
Upon inspecting the sack of charcoal, the officers discovered eight pieces of elephant tusks weighing 58 kilograms.
The duo was swiftly escorted to Lungalunga Police Station for processing, pending arraignment.
Officials said the recovery shows up to four elephants had been killed in the area.
There are dozens of elephants in national parks near Lungalunga.
Police said the suspects will be charged with the offence of being in Possession of Wildlife Trophies of Endangered Species Contrary to Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation Management Act 2013.
The seizure continues despite harsh penalties on those found with the tusks.
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.
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.
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, officials say.
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