Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) security personnel have arrested four suspects in Marsabit and Isiolo Counties for illegal possession of elephant tusks weighing a total of 58.6 kilogrammes.
Two of the suspects were nabbed at Laisamis town in Marsabit County with six pieces of elephant tusks weighing 51.5 kilogrammes, looking for prospective buyers of the contraband. The other two were arrested at Gambella trading centre in Isiolo County while in possession of two pieces of elephant tusks weighing 7.1 kilogrammes.
In the Marsabit arrest, James Legalorah and Lesarin Leejer were arrested by a combined
intelligence and investigations team from KWS who posed as buyers of the tusks. The two
were booked at Marsabit police station and are set to be arraigned in court today.
In Isiolo, the two suspects, Ezra Mutungi and Nahshon Gitonga were arrested while in possession of two pieces of elephant tusks weighing 7. 1 Kilogrammes that they were
ferrying using a motorbike. It is suspected that the tusks belonged to an elephant killed in Gambella area last year.
The two were arraigned in court today in Isiolo where they pleaded not guilty. The court granted them cash bond of 1.5 million shillings each with a surety of a similar amount.
