Ivory seized as three held in war on poaching

What you need to know:

  • In the second incident, a man was arrested with 300kg of Zebra meat that was destined for Naivasha Town.

Police arrested three suspected poachers on Monday and impounded two elephant tusks in separate raids in Narok County.

In the first raid, the two pieces of ivory weighing 8kg and worth Sh120,000 were seized in Narok Town as the handler offered them for sale to security officers, who had posed as buyers.

Narok police boss Paul Leting said they were yet to establish the destination of the tusks, but had ascertained they were from the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

ZEBRA MEAT

In the second incident, a man was arrested with 300kg of Zebra meat that was destined for Naivasha Town.

“The man parked a station wagon vehicle at the side of the road in Suswa trading centre, raising suspicion from members of public who informed the police,” Mr Leting said.

The police officer said that the game meat was stacked in gunny bags in the car boot.

At Kisiriri trading centre in Narok North, security officers intercepted 200 cedar posts suspected to be from the Mau forest.

Mr Leting thanked the public for playing a pivotal role in the three arrests. He said the three men will be taken to court today.
The Kenya Wildlife Service Senior warden in charge of Narok County, Mr William Sang, who was with Mr Leting, said surveillance in the Maasai Mara had been improved to curb the illegal trade.