Wildlife conservation officers in Garissa County have disrupted a poaching syndicate following a meticulously planned overnight operation. The intervention resulted in the apprehension of six suspects and the confiscation of illicit wildlife products and a firearm.
Based on credible information about a vehicle transporting armed individuals and prohibited wildlife items, conservation officers established strategic checkpoints along the Garissa-Daadab highway at Alango Arba in Fafi Sub-County.
During the early hours, the unsuspecting suspects drove into the established ambush and were stopped while traveling in a white Suzuki Alto, registration number KDC 529C.
The arrested individuals included Ali Idow Yussuf, 66, who was attired in military apparel and found with a loaded AK-47 rifle containing 13 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition plus an extra magazine with 30 rounds. He asserted his affiliation with the National Police Reservist unit based in Gadude. The other five detainees were Fuad Hussein Mukhtar, 30, who was driving, along with Mahat Diriye Hussein, 34, Hassan Jehow Diriye, 56, Idle Farah Dagane, 52, and Hussein Ibrahim Abdulrahman, 45.
A comprehensive inspection of the vehicle revealed approximately 200 kilograms of suspected giraffe meat and a giraffe head carcass valued at Ksh 200,000. Seven mobile phones, reportedly employed for orchestrating the illicit commerce, were also confiscated.
The seized firearm and ammunition have been secured as evidence at KWS Garissa Station, while the suspects were initially detained at Garissa Police Station and subsequently transferred to KWS Headquarters in Nairobi, pending formal charges.
This operation exemplifies the commitment of conservation officers in protecting Kenya’s wildlife resources, illustrating that individuals attempting to profit from the nation’s natural heritage will be apprehended irrespective of the time of day.