Kenya Wildlife Service seizes Sh6.2m ivory, nabs suspects

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers arrested two suspected poachers in Mosiro with six elephant tusks worth Sh6.2 million on Sunday evening.

The two were nabbed as they prepared to ferry the tusks to an unknown destination.

Narok police boss Paul Leiting, who was accompanied by KWS County Warden Francis Mureithi, said the trophies were hidden in a house and were impounded after a tip-off from a resident.

He said the officers posed as potential customers before ambushing the two suspects and seizing the ivory.

"We intercepted them as they were trying to look for market probably in Nairobi. The third accomplice, who is believed to be behind a spates of poaching in Mara, fled," said Mr Leiting. He said they had intensified the crackdown on poachers.

Mureithi said the poachers were now using poisonous arrows to kill wildlife to avoid detection.

"The poachers are using a certain powder that is poisonous that they smear on smear on their spears and arrows especially in private conservancies," said Mureithi.