Two suspected traffickers were at the weekend arrested while in possession of 12 pieces of ivory valued at Sh2 million in Rumuruti, Laikipia County.
The two were carrying the 20 kilos of wildlife trophies on a motorcycle when police and Kenya Wildlife Service personnel intercepted them in Rumuruti town.
Police identified them as Raphael Nabiki aged 33 years old and Solomon Chegelarpei, 30.
The motorcycle they were using was detained in the June 17 operation. They are being interrogated to reveal the source of the ivory.
This came a day after three other suspects were arrested in Nyeri Town with 23 kilograms of elephant tusks that they planned to sell to undercover detectives.
The three including one woman were traveling 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, the 12 pieces of the elephant tusks were recovered.
Last week, two herders accused of illegally possessing elephant tusks were given stringent bond terms of Sh1 million each after being charged.
They were accused of dealing in ivory and allegedly found with Sh2 million worth of elephant tusks by KWS detectives.
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 found dealing in two pieces of elephant tusk weighing six kilograms concealed in a brown 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 County.
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, among others.
These efforts led to zero rhino poaching in Kenya in 2020-the first time in about two decades.
