The police officers from Cheptais Police Station, in collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers from Kitale, acted on intelligence and apprehended the suspects at Cheptais Kipsis Junction.
“The suspects were intercepted while transporting two elephant tusks concealed in a blue sack on a motorcycle,” NPS stated.
The two are currently in police custody, waiting for arraignment.
The NPS reaffirmed its commitment to working with relevant agencies to protect Kenya’s wildlife and natural heritage.
The suspects are expected to face charges of being in Possession of Wildlife Trophies of Endangered Species Contrary to Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation Management Act 2013.
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.
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.
On June 30, 2025, two suspects were arrested while
trafficking elephant tusks weighing 14 kilograms in an operation in Imenti
North, Meru County.
Police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials said the two were nabbed along Njuri Ncheke Street near Post Bank in Meru Town.
The two suspects were found in possession of seven pieces of elephant tusks weighing approximately 14 kilograms and valued at Sh1.5 million.
This came as another group of three traffickers was arrested and 48 kilos of elephant tusks were found on them in Kiritiri village, Embu County.
The three were arrested by a team of KWS personnel who had been tipped off that they were looking for the market of the tusks.
Officials put the value of the ivory at Sh4.8 million.
KWS officials and police said the cargo had been stuffed in two green gunny bags and was being transported on the Siakago-Kiritiri road when the arrests were made on May 28.
The suspects included a woman and had six pieces of ivory with them on a motorcycle, police said.
