Suspect arrested with wildlife trophies worth Sh5mn in Taita Taveta

During the intelligence led operation by a joint team of Serious Crimes Detectives and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, one suspect was also arrested.

“The 40-year-old man was seized in Taveta township trading in pangolin scales worth Sh5 million and elephant tusks with a street value of Sh400,000,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations stated on its twitter account.

According to the investigative agency, the suspect was arrested following a sting operation on Friday afternoon.

Pangolin scales which fetch a fortune in the black market are normally used for spiritual protection and financial rituals, making the mammal one of the most trafficked in the world.