Police lay trap, seize two suspects and elephant tusks

Detectives yesterday arrested two suspects and confiscated nine pieces of elephant tusks.

The tusks weighing 8.5kg and concealed in a gunny bag containing maize was found in a bus from Kitale.

The two suspects aged 32 and 30 were intercepted shortly after disembarking from the bus at Mwembe Tayari some minutes to 9am yesterday.

The officers said one of the suspects had been earlier detained in Uganda and was freed in 2016 on a Sh1.4 million bond.

Investigators were aware of the matter that linked the suspect to illegal ivory trade and smuggling of goods. Other sources claimed his name had featured in the list of international police, Interpol.

Officers from Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Intelligence and Special Crime Prevention Unit had camped at the bus terminus apparently waiting for the consignment.

One officer privy to the happenings told The Standard at the scene that they had intelligence and laid a trap.

The suspects were taken to Central Police Station.

Mombasa Urban DCI boss Anthony Muriithi said of the arrest and seizure of the ivory: "Our officers, while acting on intelligence information, managed to apprehend two suspects with the consignment. We have got vital information and investigation is still on."

He said the suspects boarded the bus in Kitale at around 3pm on Sunday.

It is not clear where the consignment was being taken but other officials claim it was to be exported through the Port of Mombasa.

The Standard also established that some DCI officials had been dispatched to the port to trail some suspects said to be part of the web.

The police confiscated cell phones of the two suspects. They are being analysed by investigators.