A National Police Service (NPS) officer is among four suspects who have been arrested after being found in possession of illegal goods including ivory.
The officer stationed at the Central Nakuru station alongside his accomplice, a boda boda operator, were apprehended while transporting a stolen gun, 30 rounds of ammunition and rhinoceros horns using a motorcycle.
According to Molo Police Commander Timon Odingo, security officers who were acting on a tip-off from members of the public caught the suspects in possession of the goods which had been stashed in black bags.
Odingo, while speaking to the press, said that police have since launched investigations to establish where the ivory came from, adding that they will work with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to ascertain their estimated value.
“Investigations are currently ongoing so that we ascertain where these horns came from, where they were destined to be taken and know their estimated value after KWS conducts analysis,” he said.
The police commander also said that officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) will conduct ballistic analysis on the recovered gun to ascertain where it was stolen from.
Police Officer among suspects arrested with illegal goods in Nakuru
“We shall also conduct investigations into the guns. The area DCIO is here so that he knows which station the gun was stolen from,” added Odingo.
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On the other hand, police revealed that they are currently pursuing two other suspects who are said to have broken into shops within the area.
The recovery of the rhino horns comes days after detectives drawn from the DCI seized game trophies.
Ivory seized
DCI in a statement on August 20 said that a multi-agency team comprising of its Serious Crime Unit (SCU) detectives and officers from KWS arrested an individual and recovered Ivory weighing approximately 84 kilograms.
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“A multi-agency team comprising of DCI Serious Crime Unit detectives and officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service have registered a major breakthrough in the fight against sale of endangered wildlife trophies following the arrest of an individual at Kambu area in Kibwezi sub county and recovery of Ivory weighing approximately 84 kilograms,” read part of the statement.
“57 years old Sila Maweu and his three accomplices who managed to escape were ambushed by the officers who were acting on intelligence forcing the three hoodlums to run away leaving behind the suspect and animal trophies.”
Maweu was arraigned before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) law court where he pleaded guilty to two counts of dealing in endangered wildlife species among other charges.
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