Three men arrested, 58 kilogrammes of ivory impounded in Tharaka Nithi

Maara OCPD Johnston Kabusia( in black), arranges 14 elephant tusks on the ground, after three suspects were caught in possession of them on November 28,2017 in Chogoria market, Tharaka Nithii County. [Peter Muthomi/Standard]

Police and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers in Maara sub-county arrested three men and impounded the 58kg of ivory worth Sh5.8 million.

Area police boss Johnston Kabusia said the arrest followed a tip that the suspects were planning to deliver the ivory to a buyer in Chogoria town. Some of the ivory was fresh, indicating that it came from an elephant killed recently.

"The rangers were tipped that the three were going to deliver the ivory to a certain hotel in the town, so we went there and posed as buyers," he said.

The three suspects arrived at the hotel on a motorcycle with the ivory wrapped in a sack. Chogoria Sector KWS Warden Henry Kirinyet said elephant poaching had gone down in the past one year and called for a complete end to the crime.

"The 14 pieces of ivory means seven elephants lost their lives; to replace them is not a simple task," he said.