The suspects were moving the shipment along the Barsaloi-Masikita Road in Samburu North Sub-County, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“A specialized Anti-Wildlife Crimes team stationed at DCI Headquarters presented the suspects before Maralal Court, where custody orders for three days were granted to allow the investigators to continue their investigations,” the DCI noted.
The government banned the harvesting and trade of sandalwood in 2007, following increased exploitation of the aromatic tree whose roots are used for the manufacture of medicines and cosmetics.
A burgeoning illegal trade has grown with the demand for this commodity increasing, leading to its listing in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red list of Threatened Species.