Casual worker arrested with pieces of ivory

By ALI ABDI

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers in Marsabit have arrested a casual worker with 11 pieces of ivory.

Yesterday, Senior Warden in charge of Marsabit National Park Dickson Too said game rangers who were acting on a tip-off arrested the suspect.

The man was allegedly transporting the trophies using a GK motorcycle belonging to local Department of Public Health.

At the time of arrest, the man was working as a casual worker at the department of Public Health. His boss, Adan Waqo, said the suspect was recruited to spray mosquitoes and clean departmental motorcycles.

?‘‘We recruited him but we do not know his background. We are shocked to hear he has engaged in criminal activity using the department’s motorcycle,’’ said Waqo.

Police impounded the motorcycle and detained the man at Marsabit Police Station. He is expected to appear in court today.

Mr Too explained it was not immediately possible to determine the number of elephants killed  to extract the tusks because they had been cut into small pieces for easy transportation.

 The officers had received information concerning the tusks that prompted them to lay an ambush near Mt Marsabit Forest.

Describing the arrest as a breakthrough in the fight against poaching in the area, Too said the suspect will help in providing more information on other suspected poachers.

He said the arrest was an indication that the strategy of working closely with members of the public works.

The arrest is the first in the recent past in a park that has seen the killing of over 20 elephants since mid last year. Last February, a game ranger was shot dead as he pursued suspected poachers within the park.

Poaching in Marsabit is believed to be carried out by people from Ethiopia, who work with locals to kill elephants and buffaloes mainly for traditional reasons.

Incidents of dead buffaloes with their tails missing had been on the rise. Earlier in the year, an Ethiopian was arrested with an elephant’s ear at Dukana following a bragging session the suspect had with a friend in public.