Three police officers were arrested in Kitengela, Kajiado County on Saturday June 16, 2024 after they were found in possession of elephant tusks worth Ksh2.9 million.

During the incident on Saturday, two pistols with 30 bullets and five tusks weighing 29 kgs were recovered from the police officers.

Confirming the incident, Kingela police boss Patrick Manyasi said the suspects were arrested during a security operation in Kitengela.

This was after the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) officers raised concerns over smuggling of wildlife products in the country. 

The suspects were trailed from Eldoret to Nairobi, and later to Kitengela where they were arrested.

A civilian was also arrested alongside the three police officers by officers attached to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) at a roadblock in Kitengela.

Police reported that the suspects drew their pistols in an attempt to defend themselves but were subdued. 

One of the suspects is a police constable attached to the Judiciary, at  Milimani Law Courts as a driver, and another is a bodyguard of a senior politician from Eldoret.

According to the police, the suspects were taken to Kitengela Police Station before they were transferred to KSW holding in Lang’ata, Nairobi.

KSW officials have confirmed that the suspect will be charged with being in Possession of wildlife trophies of endangered species contrary to section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation Management Act 2013.

In addition, KWS officials noted that the suspects may have obtained the tusks after killing about three elephants in the nearby national parks.

The incident comes a week after three suspected poachers were arrested and 8 elephant tusks valued at Ksh2 million were recovered from their car in Kibwezi, Makueni County.

This was after police intercepted the car of the three suspects along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway in the Thenge area.