A Nairobi court has been informed of how three suspected poachers were arrested and arraigned as they tried to sell some wildlife trophies worth Sh2.5 million.
While testifying in court, KWS chief inspector Charles Inoti and other detectives including Gladys Tanui, Job Magara and Hassan Maora jointly gave their accounts on how the accused persons were arrested pants down.
They were testifying before a Kibera Court Magistrate court where Nashon Maati Mochere, Charles Wambua Mwema and Evans Moseti Mochere were charged with illegally dealing with five pieces of elephant tusks weighing 25 kilograms all valued at Sh2.5 million without a permit.
They allegedly committed the offence on September 18, 2017, at around 1330 hours at Nairobi West Shopping Centre within Nairobi County.
The court heard that the accused persons committed the offence alongside others who were not before the court.
While testifying in the case, Inoti said that the accused persons were arrested after a tip-off from the members of the public who revealed that they were dealing with the said tusks.
Inoti told the court that, Sergeant Gladys Tanui was in frequent communication with one of the accused persons where she had posed as a potential buyer.
In her testimonies, Tanui told the court that she communicated with one, Charles Wambua and insisted that the WhatsApp calls, messages and chats related to the same were availed for the court to have a look at them.
"Yes I communicated with one of the accused persons and the said messages, and WhatsApp calls can be accessed from the cybercrime departments," she said.
They later in a certain vehicle availed the said elephant tusks at the said place and they were arrested.
The accused persons' lawyer downplayed the accusations and challenged the testimonies in a spirited cross-examination.
The case will proceed next month for a further hearing