Two Ivory Trafficking Rings Busted in Meru and Embu as KWS Intensifies Anti-Poaching Efforts

Two separate ivory trafficking operations were foiled this week as authorities arrested five suspects in Meru and Embu counties in a major crackdown against wildlife crime.

In Meru, two suspects were apprehended on Njuri Ncheke Street near Post Bank in Meru Town with seven pieces of elephant tusks weighing approximately 14 kilograms. The ivory, estimated to be worth Sh1.5 million, was seized by a joint team of police and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers.

Meanwhile, in Embu County’s Kiritiri village, three more suspects — including a woman — were intercepted along the Siakago-Kiritiri road. They were found transporting 48 kilograms of ivory concealed in two green gunny bags on a motorcycle. The tusks, valued at Sh4.8 million, are believed to have come from at least three poached elephants in nearby game reserves.

All suspects are set to face charges under Section 92(4) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, 2013, for possession of wildlife trophies of endangered species.

KWS officials revealed that the arrests were made following intelligence-led operations, part of a broader effort to dismantle wildlife trafficking networks. Demand for ivory in Asia and the Middle East continues to drive poaching despite a global trade ban.

Kenya has adopted advanced surveillance technologies, including drones, and increased interagency cooperation to combat poaching. Authorities estimate that 20,000 elephants are killed annually across Africa.

The arrests come nearly a decade after Kenya’s historic 2016 ivory burn, where 105 tonnes of elephant ivory and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn were destroyed to send a powerful message against the illegal trade.

Kenya remains a key transit route for ivory from central and eastern Africa, underscoring the urgency of sustained anti-poaching enforcement.