Two men arrested and 117 kilograms of ivory valued at Sh12 million recovered from them in Kitui County

Two men were Friday arrested after they were found with 117 kilograms of ivory in Tseikuru, Kitui County.

The operation was conducted by a joint team led by Kenya Wildlife Service officers.

The two Kenyan nationals have been identified as George Njeru Mutithi and Abdi Ibrahim Arow are from Tharaka Nithi.

The operation which ran throughout the night, led to the recovery of 117 kilograms of ivory.

The two suspects are reported to have sourced the ivory from one Osman Abbas a herder from Garbatulla currently stationed at the Meru National Park.

Police and KWS said their intelligence has reason to believe that the ivory may have emanated from the same park as there was evidence that some of the ivory was still fresh.

While Arow has been profiled for his role in sourcing and supplying ivory, the KWS believe that Njeru lost his eye while engaging in illegal poaching activities.

"This is a breakthrough in the fight against poaching in the area," said a policeman aware of the operation.

The suspects are expected in court next week.

The arrest of the two comes at a time when various agencies are investigating the March 2017 seizure of ivory weighing 117 kgs in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The Hanoi seizure was later traced back to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Recent trends show that the far eastern countries continue to present a lucrative market for ivory and other wildlife trophies. 

More suspects are being sought and under investigation.