Two men were on Tuesday arrested and 52 kilograms of elephant tusks valued at Sh5.3 million recovered in an operation in Nyeri Town.

Police with Kenya Wildlife Service officials ambushed the two merchants as they tried to sell the ivory to a man who had posed as a potential buyer.

Police say they want to establish the source of the ten pieces of ivory, some of which seemed a few days old.

The two were Wednesday expected in court to face charges of possession of a wildlife trophy Contrary to Section 93(4) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act of 2013.

This comes amid ongoing operations targeting poaching in the country.

On May 24, elephant tusks weighing over 110 kilograms have been recovered in Laikipia County and one suspect was arrested.

Officials said the tusks will fetch about Sh12 million in the black market.

In an intelligence-led operation conducted by sleuths from the Serious Crimes Unit, the 47-year-old man was arrested at Sipili area in Kirima Sub-County, after a vehicle ferrying the tusks was intercepted.

The suspected ivory smuggler was arrested in possession of the 23 elephant tusks.

Posing as well-oiled businessmen who rule the underworld, the sleuths lured the suspect before tightening the noose around him, shortly before 1 pm.

Elephant tusks fetch a fortune in the black market as a surge in demand for ivory in the East continues to fuel the illicit trade, especially from Africa.

Officials say despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, 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.

These efforts led to zero rhino poaching in Kenya in 2020-the first time in about two decades.

At least 20,000 elephants are killed annually in Africa for their ivory. This translates to 55 elephants killed daily or one elephant killed every 26 minutes with a population of 35,000 elephants.

On April 30, 2016, Kenya set ablaze 105 tonnes of elephant ivory and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta led world leaders and conservationists in burning the remains of 6,500 elephants and 450 rhinos killed for their tusks and horn.

Parliament has also passed strict anti-poaching laws and the government has beefed up security at parks to stop poaching, which threatens the vital tourism industry.

Regionally, Kenya has also emerged as a major transit route for ivory destined for Asian markets from eastern and central Africa.

The illegal ivory trade is mostly fuelled by demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks and rhino horns are used to make ornaments and traditional medicines.