A multi-agency team comprising officers from the National Police Service (NPS) and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) netted two wildlife traffickers, seizing elephant tusks worth approximately Sh11 million at a hotel in Namanga, Kajiado County.
Following a trail of intelligence leads, the team launched a covert operation at Mufassa Hotel, where the traffickers were believed to be closing in on a shadowy deal with a prospective buyer on Saturday January 24.
There, they found Imani Manasi Msumbwa and Justin Mwalima, both Tanzanian nationals, and Alton Jilaoneka, a Kenyan, lounging as if they were kings on their throne, completely unaware their reign was about to come to an end.
But in a twist of fate, Justin Mwalima made a daring escape at the first sign of trouble, slipping away like a wisp of smoke.
The remaining two didn’t stand a chance and were arrested on the spot.
Upon interrogation, they led the officers to their parked vehicles, setting the stage for further revelations.
A search of a Toyota Mark X, turned up 20 pieces of elephant tusks weighing a total of 110 kilograms stashed in the boot, while a further inspection of a Nissan Fairland, uncovered a weighing machine, underpinning the traffickers’ meticulous operations.
The suspects were swiftly escorted, along with the impounded motor vehicles and exhibits, to Namanga Police Station for processing pending arraignment.
Police said the suspects will be charged with the offence of being in Possession of Wildlife Trophies of Endangered Species Contrary to Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation Management Act 2013. This is the latest seizure of ivory to be made in a series in the past months.
This indicates elephants are being killed despite stringent measures in place to address the menace of poaching. 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.
The illegal ivory trade is mostly fueled by demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks and rhino horns are used to make ornaments and traditional medicines. 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. 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 elephants and rhinos killed for their tusks and horns. 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.
