Five arrested in possession of elephant tusks
Detectives on Saturday evening nabbed five suspects who were found in possession of two jumbo tusks weighing 18kg in Kajiado town.
The detectives were in a joint operation with Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) officers and it is believed that the tusks belong to an elephant that was found killed by suspected poachers at Emotoroki area, Kajiado county.
In a statement on its official Twitter account, the DCI identified the five as Nelson Wuantai Njiraini, who is a deputy head teacher, Samson Ntinga, Francis Lakati Ngarua, Dickson Kirinkol and Emmanuel Kantet Swankei.
The DCI said the suspects, who were travelling in a Toyota Probox, were arrested as they were looking for a potential buyer of their contraband.
“Using a KCB 980D Toyota Probox owned by the deputy head teacher and a motorbike, make Captain KMCU 851S, the five had gone to the town seeking for a potential buyer when detectives pounced on them and made the recovery,” the police statement reads in part.
The police said the arrested suspects have been placed in custody, with the KWS Intelligence and Investigation Unit notified to check for involvement of any of the suspects in previous related cases.
They five are expected to be arraigned in court on Monday.