Suspected traders arrested with Sh15m of ivory at hostel

Two suspected smugglers were arrested and elephant tusks weighing 15.7 kilograms were seized from them at an accommodation they had booked in Kapenguria, West Pokot District.

Police said the value of the ivory was Sh15.8 million.

Police said the duo had booked a room in the town of Ortum while waiting for a potential buyer when they were caught.

Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials said the cargo was sealed in a black bag in connection with the November 24 incident.

They were detained at the local police station pending investigation and prosecution.

Officials in the operation said they were informed that the smugglers were waiting for a buyer during the raid.

Police said the suspects will be charged with the offense of Possession of Wildlife Trophies of Endangered Species Contrary to Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation Management Act 2013.

Authorities said the seizure indicated that as many as four elephants had been killed and that the incidents were likely to have occurred in nearby parks.

Elephant tusks are making a fortune on the black market as rising demand for ivory in the East continues to fuel the illegal trade in elephant tusks, particularly from Africa.

Authorities say African elephants are still poached in large numbers despite an international ban on the ivory trade.

As part of efforts to stop the threat, Kenya has begun using high-tech surveillance equipment, including drones, to track poachers and track elephants and rhinos.

KWS and stakeholders have put in place mechanisms to eliminate all forms of wildlife crime, especially poaching.

These mechanisms include enhanced community education, interagency cooperation, and intensive intelligence-driven operations.

These efforts led to zero rhino poaching in Kenya in 2020, for the first time in nearly two decades.

At least 30,000 elephants are killed for ivory in Africa every year.

On April 30, 2016, 105 tons of ivory and 1.35 tons of rhino horn were set on fire in Kenya.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta led world leaders and environmentalists in cremating the remains of 6,500 elephants and 450 rhinos killed for their tusks and horns.

Parliament has also passed strict anti-poaching laws, and the government has increased security in parks to stop poaching that threatens the vital tourism industry.

Regionally, Kenya has also emerged as an important transit route for ivory shipped from eastern and central Africa to Asian markets.

The illegal ivory trade is driven mostly by demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks and rhino horns are used to make ornaments and traditional medicines.