SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:
- On May 15th, 2020, in Central Kenya, KWS undercover officers arrested two men with 38.6 kg of ivory.
- The suspects were found with 3 tusks in a sack.
- Senior Warden Station Gabriel Kiio speculated they may have been obtained from an elephant killed at Mugie Ranch.
Two nabbed with game trophies as KWS decries increased poaching cases
KBC
May 16, 2020
Two people were arrested by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers Saturday, while in possession of 38.6 kilograms of ivory in a Laikipia West sub-county. The two were nabbed with the trophies by undercover officers working on a tip-off from members of the public.
The two suspects, Kipkemoi Minito and Alfred Njogu were nabbed with three pieces of ivory concealed in a sack. Senior Warden Station Gabriel Kiio noted the tusks are suspected to have been obtained from an elephant that could have been killed at Mugie Ranch in Laikipia North.
“If you think you can have financial gains from this ivory, know that having been caught with such trophies will attract a life sentence or a fine not exceeding Ksh 20 million,” warned the Senior Warden.
He said that the two are being held at the Nyahururu Police Station, waiting to be arraigned in court.
Residents in the region have since been urged to work closely with police and KWS officers in the fight against poaching. This comes barely a week after three other suspects were arrested at Marina area in Laikipia Central with 33 kilograms of elephant tusks.
Meanwhile, KWS has decried increased cases of poaching and illegal trafficking of game trophies in the region.
