Police officer among suspects nabbed with ivory worth Ksh3M

Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) officers in Naivasha have arrested two suspects including a junior police officer for trafficking elephant ivory worth close to Ksh 3 million.

The two suspects were arrested along the Mai Mahiu-Narok road while ferrying the 29 pieces from Narok to Nairobi.

This came as the government agency raised its concern over an increase in cases of ivory trafficking in the country noting that it was affecting wildlife conservation.

Last month, three suspects including a police officer were arrested in Kajiado while ferrying over 20 pieces of ivory to Nairobi.

In the latest incident, the two suspects were waiting for a matatu along the road when KWS officers moved in and arrested them.

According to Francis Mutuko, KWS Senior Warden in charge of Naivasha, the 29 pieces had been parked in two bags when the suspects were nabbed.

He expressed his concern that among those arrested was a police officer who was supposed to be the custodian of the law.

“We have arrested two suspects including a junior police officer and recovered elephant tusks worth around Sh2.9m following a sting operation along the Mai Mahiu-Narok road,” he said.

While decrying the rise in cases of trafficking of ivory, he said that the two suspects would be handed over to DCIO officers for further interrogation before being arraigned in court.