SEEJ-AFRICA THUMBNAIL:
- On December 18th, 2020, Michael Ochokol was arrested in the border town of Busia with ivory in his home.
- DCI detectives and KWS rangers made the arrest and appears to total almost 44 kg of ivory.
- The previous January, a Ugandan primary teacher was arrested in Busia with 42 kg of ivory and wildlife bones.
by Emojong Osere, Correspondent, Busia; 19 December 2020
NABBED: The seized ivory said to weigh approximately 7.2 kilograms each.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrested a man found in possession of ivory in Busia. County police commander John Nyoike told the Star on the phone that the officers based in Busia received information that the man was selling the product.
Nyoike said the detectives after the tip-off moved to Airstrip area where the ivory was kept inside a house to meet Michael Ochokol, the owner. They gained access to the house in which the ivory was kept to meet the dealer.
“He was selling the ivory and our officers went disguised as customers and he was arrested,” Nyoike said. “It is not that he was moving them.” The value of the ivory is still not known.
Nyoike said the suspect who was arrested on Friday at 3pm will appear in court on Monday.
Each of the six ivory pieces weighs 7.2kg.
The DCI officers acted alongside their colleagues from the Kenya Wildlife Service. Ochokol is being detained at the Busia police station.
The incident happened almost a year after a Ugandan was arrested in Busia in possession of ivory valued at Sh4.2 million in January. The Ugandan national, Joseph Ndeda, was arrested by DCI and KWS officers after a tip-off….
