DCI, KWS Arrest Suspects, Seize 4 Rare Live Wild Animals [PHOTOS]

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' (DCI) Serious Crimes Unit backed by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers arrested six suspected wildlife traffickers on Saturday, June 8.

DCI announced in a statement that the suspects are to be arraigned on Monday, June 10 following a multi-agency operation comprising officers from DCI headquarters, Serious Crimes Unit, rangers from KWS headquarters and Kaloleni DCI officers that saw their arrest.

The operation saw the multi-agency team seize two pieces of elephant tusks estimated at a street value of Ksh5 million and four live terrapins.

Live terrapins seized by DCI & KWS officers on June 8, 2024. /DCI

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a terrapin is a type of small North American turtle that lives in warm rivers and lakes. It has a thick shell covering its body and which lives partly in water and partly on land.

"The six; Makutano Kadenge Katana, William Manyaso Ngala, Suleiman Madengo Saha, Kazungu Samuel Kenga, Omar Nyae Kirongo and Rashid Kombo Mazua were arrested at Kaloleni Shopping Center after a tip-off from vigilant citizens that there were suspected wildlife traffickers in the said area," DCI stated in part.

The suspects were escorted to Mariakani Police Station awaiting transfer to Nairobi for further processing and arraignment.

DCI underlined that the successful operation underscores the power of community vigilance and cooperation in the fight against wildlife trafficking.

"It is also a testament to our collective commitment to preserving our precious wildlife and holding those who threaten it accountable," added DCI.

This is not the only recent arrest security agencies have made on individuals targeting wild animals for profit or other means. On Wednesday, June 5, police in Daadab's Dagahaley area of Garissa County launched a pursuit of four men who wrestled a giraffe the previous evening before killing it for game meat.

Swiftly acting on information shared by residents at Kumahumato village, officers from Dagahale Police Station rushed to the scene, intercepting a Toyota Alto overloaded with the animal just as it struggled to rev up.

"On sighting the police cruiser, the four game hunters scampered into nearby thickets, holing up like warthogs to evade arrest. Their abandoned vehicle was towed to the police station and KWS officers informed," stated DCI then.

With the car detained, the meat was preserved as an exhibit, with a report from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) records pointing to the owner of the vehicle obtained.

Meanwhile, KWS raised an alarm on the country's giraffe population amidst an increase in poaching for bushmeat, particularly in the counties of Wajir and Garissa, warning that if the current rate of giraffe poaching continues, these majestic animals may soon vanish from the region.

Jacob Ilo Orahle, the Senior KWS Warden for Garissa County, revealed that giraffes are being slaughtered weekly, their meat transported to the Daadab Refugee Camp. He also indicated that antelopes are frequently hunted to supplement the refugees’ diets, as they lack domestic animals for milk and meat.

Giraffes have now joined a tragic list of heavily poached species, including dik-diks, buffalos, impalas, wildebeests, bush pigs, warthogs, zebras, gazelles, elands, and hartebeests. The increasing poaching activities have placed enormous pressure on the wildlife populations in the region.

Photo of a giraffe in Kenya. /DISCOVER AFRICA BLOG