{A Kenyan police officer and two other suspects have appeared in court over the illegal possession of rhino horn. } <\/p>\n
The officer was arrested with a piece of rhino horn weighing 600g (21oz), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says.<\/p>\n
Rhino horn is said to sell for around $65,000 (\u00a343,200) per kg on the Asian black market.<\/p>\n
Kenya has recently taken a more aggressive stance against poaching as it combats a surge in demand for rhino horn.<\/p>\n
The suspect, a junior officer in the Kenya Police Service, was lured into a trap by KWS agents who posed as rhino horn buyers, says the BBC’s Anne Soy in Nairobi.<\/p>\n
The officer allegedly threatened to shoot the arresting officers before being overpowered and taken into custody with the other suspects on Monday night.<\/p>\n
All three men pleaded not guilty and will be remanded in custody until a bail hearing.<\/p>\n
It is not the first time a security official has been arrested in Kenya in connection with the illicit trade. <\/p>\n
An army officer and a former US defence attach have in the past been caught, our correspondent says.<\/p>\n
BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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