NAIROBI, Kenya May 5- Five people were on Wednesday arraigned in a Nairobi court and charged with the offense of dealing in endangered wildlife species.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations identified the accused persons as Joseph Nguro Kabiro, Stephen Odongo, Mutua Mwangangi, Morris Maina and Agnes Nene Nasieku.
They were arrested while transporting the rare species contrary to the wildlife conservation and management act.
The suspects were apprehended when agents from the Serious Crime Unit intercepted a lorry ferrying the extremely imperiled species Wednesday night along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
“Following a thorough search, 10 carefully fastened sacks disguised as parcels containing 534Kgs of the East African wood were recovered. Upon investigations, it was established that the consignment had initially been placed in custody,” the DCI said in a statement.
The agency stated that its detectives applied cybercrime techniques and link analysis at the DCI National Forensic Laboratory and successfully apprehended Agnes Nasieku, the would-be recipient of the wood and the mastermind behind the illegal trade.
“Nasieku,and her four accomplices pleaded not guilty and were given a temporary bond of 2 million shillings and a cash bail of a similar amount,” the agency stated.
The case will be mentioned on May 23.
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