A senior police officer was on Wednesday, October 5, charged with being in possession of 13 tonnes of sandalwood, an endangered tree species.
Calvin Juma Boy Ombata, a superintendent of police serving as OCPD Samburu East, was arrested after a police Landcruiser and a lorry full of the consignment were found at his residence on September 27.
Sandalwood seized
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), in a statement, said the operation led by officers from the Serious Crime Unit followed a tip-off from the public.
Also arrested during the dusk raid were two police drivers Constable Patrick Murigi and Corporal Festus Saha, who were driving the two vehicles.
14 Kilograms of Cannabis Sativa and an assault rifle were recovered from the suspects.
"Calvin Juma Boy Ombata, Superintendent of police deployed as the the OCPD Samburu East, in Samburu county, was arrested after two police motor vehicles registration numbers GKA 237Y Toyota Land cruiser and Isuzu FTS lorry registration number GKB 870T, were found at his residence on September 27, 2022, loaded to the brim with the said consignment," DCI said.
Appearing at Kahawa Law Courts on Wednesday, the prime suspect, Juma Boy, pleaded not guilty to the offence of being in possession of endangered species contrary to section 94(4) of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 201.
He was released on a bond of Ksh2 million and a surety of a similar amount.
The harvesting and trade of sandalwood was criminalized in the country in 2007, following increased exploitation of the aromatic tree whose roots are used for the manufacture of medicines and cosmetics.
Sandalwood oil is used as an antiseptic and for the treatment of headaches, stomach aches, and urinary and genital disorders.
The oil is also used in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.
"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," DCI said.
