Kenyan Police arrest 3 suspects with elephant tusks

Kenyan Police said, on Monday, they are interrogating three suspects with 12 pieces of elephant tusks with a street value of $46,290.

The Police arrested the suspect on Sunday in the lakeside town of Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

National Police spokesperson, Resila Onyango, said security forces recovered 58 kilogrammes of elephant tusks from the suspects.

Onyango said that going by the number of recovered tusks, it means the suspects killed six elephants.

“The trade in tusks is illegal and everyone should know this.

“We will investigate further to get all the players,” the spokesman said.

The Police drove the suspects in a saloon car on Sunday afternoon in Naivasha after being intercepted.

The suspects will appear in court later to face charges of trafficking in the tusks once investigations are complete.

Conservationists have decried the entry of organised crime syndicates into the illegal wildlife trade, most notably of rhino horn and elephant tusk.

They said this has created a crisis situation in many African countries.

The Kenya Wildlife Service, on its part, expressed fears that poaching contributes to the depletion of wildlife including elephants, lions and rhinos.

This is threatening many years of conservation efforts and animal populations that had started to recover. (Xinhua)

Do you have a flair for Citizenship Journalism? Share story(ies) of happenings in your area with The NewsZenith on WhatsApp: 08033668669 or thenewszenith@gmail.com