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Officials say this is the latest such recovery amid campaigns to stop the trend.
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Last week, two herders accused of illegally possessing elephant tusks were given stringent bond terms of Sh1 million each after being charged.
Image: FILE
Three suspects were at the weekend arrested and 23 kilograms of elephant tusks recovered from them in Nyeri.
The three were travelling in a salon car with the tusks valued at Sh4.6 million in Witemere area when police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials intercepted the car on June 16, officials said.
After a search of the car, 12 pieces of the elephant tusks were recovered.
The three were taken to custody ahead of planned arraignment.
Officials say this is the latest such recovery amid campaigns to stop the trend.
Last week, two herders accused of illegally possessing elephant tusks were given stringent bond terms of Sh1 million each after being charged.
The two were arraigned before Mombasa chief magistrate Martha Mutuku on June 14.
They were accused of dealing in ivory and allegedly found with Sh2 million worth of elephant tusks by Kenya Wildlife Service detectives.
The court declined to remand them but imposed hefty bond terms of Sh1 million each, with two personal sureties and an alternative Sh1 million cash bail.
The prosecution opposed their release on bond after the investigation officer stated that the two could abscond trial.
The accused were also said to have no place of abode with the investigator stating they are herders, who continuously migrate with their animals in search of pasture and water.
The two men were charged with dealing in wildlife trophies of an endangered species worth Sh2 million without a permit contrary to Section 92(2) of the Wildlife Conservation Act.
They were allegedly jointly found dealing in two pieces of elephant tusk weighing six kilograms concealed in a brownish safari bag without a permit or other lawful exemption.
The two allegedly committed the crime on June 13, 2023, in Mwembe Tayari area within Mombasa.
Elephant tusks fetch a fortune in the black market as a surge in demand for ivory in the East continues to fuel the illicit trade in elephant tusks, especially from Africa.
Officials say despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, African elephants are still being poached in large numbers.
As part of efforts to stop the menace, Kenya has started using high-tech surveillance equipment, including drones, to track poachers and keep tabs on elephants and rhinos.
KWS and stakeholders have put in place mechanisms to eradicate all forms of wildlife crime, particularly poaching.
These mechanisms include enhanced community education, interagency collaboration, and intensive intelligence-led operations.
These efforts led to zero rhino poaching in Kenya in 2020-the first time in about two decades. At least 20,000 elephants are killed annually in Africa for their ivory.
This translates to 55 elephants killed daily or one every 26 minutes with a population of 35,000 elephants.
On April 30, 2016, Kenya set ablaze 105 tonnes of elephant ivory and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta led world leaders and conservationists in burning the remains of 6,500 elephants and 450 rhinos killed for their tusks and horn.
Parliament has also passed strict anti-poaching laws and the government has beefed up security at parks to stop poaching, which threatens the vital tourism industry.
Regionally, Kenya has also emerged as a major transit route for ivory destined for Asian markets from eastern and central Africa.
The illegal ivory trade is mostly fuelled by demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks and rhino horns are used to make ornaments and traditional medicines.