A 59-year-old man has been arrested in Mwingi Township, Kitui County, after Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers recovered two pieces of suspected warthog teeth during an intelligence-led operation.
The suspect was arrested on November 13, following an operation conducted by a team of KWS officers within Mwingi Central Sub-County.
The officers recovered two pieces of warthog teeth weighing approximately 0.30 grams from the suspect.
The value of the recovered wildlife products is yet to be established.
The recovered items were secured and preserved as exhibits as authorities prepared to present the suspect before Mwingi Law Courts on Monday, November 16.
The arrest comes amid ongoing efforts by wildlife authorities to combat illegal possession and trade in wildlife products.
Officials suspect the teeth were needed elsewhere for ritual activities.
Officials say, like elephant tusks, warthog teeth fetch a fortune in the black market as a surge in demand for ivory in the East continues to fuel the illicit trade in elephant tusks, especially from Africa.
Officials say despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, horns and other products, African elephants are still being poached in large numbers.
As part of efforts to stop the menace, Kenya has started using high-tech surveillance equipment, including drones, to track poachers and keep tabs on elephants and rhinos.
KWS and stakeholders have put in place mechanisms to eradicate all forms of wildlife crime, particularly poaching.
These mechanisms include enhanced community education, interagency collaboration, and intensive intelligence-led operations, among others.