The three pieces of elephant tusks weigh approximately 53 kilograms.
In Summary
• Police said the suspects will be arraigned for the offences of dealing in and/or possession of wildlife trophy.
• Officials said the seizure shows up to ten elephants had been killed and there is a likelihood the incidents happened in the nearby Meru National Park.
September 23rd, 2023: Two suspected poachers were Friday arrested and ivory worth Sh10.6 million found on them in Embu.
Officials from the National Police Service and Kenya Wildlife Service arrested the two suspects in possession of three pieces of elephant tusks weighing approximately 53 kilograms.
Police said they will be arraigned for the offences of dealing in and/or possession of wildlife trophy.
Officials said the seizure shows up to ten elephants had been killed and there is a likelihood the incidents happened in the nearby Meru National Park.
This is despite stringent measures put in place to address the poaching menace in the country and across the region.
In July this year, two herders accused of illegally possessing elephant tusks were given stringent bond terms of Sh1 million each after being charged in Mombasa.
They were accused of dealing in ivory and allegedly found with Sh2 million worth of elephant tusks by Kenya Wildlife Service detectives.
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 especially in 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.
