NAIROBI, Kenya, May 28 – Five suspects were arrested in Samburu while transporting 1,500 kilograms of the endangered Sandalwood.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspects were transporting the consignment along the Barsaloi-Masikita Road within Samburu North Sub-County.
“The suspects were produced before Court in Maralal by a specialised Anti – Wildlife Crimes unit based at DCI Headquarters, where custodial orders for 3 days were granted to allow the detectives complete their investigations,” the DCI stated.
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.
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