Kenyan police reported on Monday (13 Feb. 2023) that they are questioning three suspects in the lakeside town of Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi, the country’s capital, about 12 pieces of elephant tusks with a market value of 5.8 million shillings (46,290 dollars).
Resila Onyango, a spokeswoman for the national police, reported that the three suspects detained on Sunday in Naivasha had 58 kilograms of elephant tusks found on them.
According to Onyango, the quantity of retrieved tusks indicates that six elephants were slaughtered. “The trade in tusks is illegal and everyone should know this. We will investigate further to get all players involved.”
On a Sunday (Feb. 12, 2023) afternoon in Naivasha, the suspects were being pursued in a saloon automobile. Once the investigations are over, the suspects will show up in court to answer to allegations of tusk trafficking.
Conservationists have criticized the involvement of organized crime groups in the illicit wildlife trade, particularly the trafficking in rhino horn and elephant tusks, which they claim has brought about a catastrophe in many African nations.
The Kenya Species Service, for its part, has expressed concern that poaching has accelerated the extinction of wildlife, including elephants, lions, and rhinos, endangering decades of conservation efforts and recovering animal populations.
Ref: Xinhua
