Four suspects were on Saturday arrested while trying to sell ten pieces of elephant tusks weighing 28 kilograms in Busia Town. The four were riding on a bodaboda when they were intercepted by police and Kenya Wildlife Service officials who had been tipped off. Upon searching two gunny bags they were ferrying with ten pieces of elephant tusks weighing 28 kilogrames with an estimated street value of Sh2.8 million were recovered, police said. 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. This translates to 55 elephants killed daily or one elephant killed every 26 minutes with a population of 35,000 elephants.

Source: The Star July 31, 2023 19:34 UTC