Three suspected poachers were on Monday night arrested in Mbuvori with four elephant tusks, a gun, 8 rounds of ammunitions and a Kenya Wildlife Service ranger's uniform.

Criminal Investigation Department officers were tipped off by wananchi. The police chased the suspects in an unmarked car and managed to apprehend them.

The 303 rifle was wrapped in a plastic paper while the elephants tusks, ammunitions and a dark green shirt were hidden in the Toyota's engine compartment. Two of the elephants tusks were small in size. The suspects were taken to the Embu police station.

Embu police boss Gasper Makau said poaching in mount Kenya forests located has increased but vowed to eradicate it. He said they will use intelligence gathered from the three to arrest more suspects. The OCPD said the three men will be taken to court before the 48 hours required by the law to hold suspects are up.

Makau thanked members of the public for the tip-off. He asked them to continue supporting the police in fighting crime and promised that information passed to the police will be confidential. Makau was accompanied by his deputy Paul Kuria, Embu CID boss Edwin Kamau, Meanwhile, a man was arrested trying to sell two leopard skins at Mutundori. Police pretended they were interested buyers before making the arrest. The case is still pending at the Embu court.