In Samburu County, Kenya, a sophisticated network facilitates illegal sandalwood harvesting from forests. Local women perform the actual harvesting, supervised by "technicians" who ensure quality, while warriors (imuran) provide armed security. Chiefs act as gatekeepers, receiving payments of around KES 10,000 in "access fees" from brokers. Community rangers, meant to protect wildlife, are also paid off (approximately KES 20,000) to allow access to forests. Sandalwood trafficking in Samburu County is notably controlled by women traders who coordinate the entire operation. These businesswomen place orders through brokers, finance transport and logistics, hire technicians, and maintain protective relationships with authorities. Their influence extends to organising a "sandalwood traders' association" that pools funds to protect members, including allocating money to hire hitmen against enforcement officers who interfere with their operations. One senior police officer reported that women traffickers boldly introduced themselves as sandalwood traders and attempted to bribe him, demonstrating the network's confidence in their protection arrangements. This community-level operation has devastated local forests and placed the slow-growing sandalwood tree at risk of extinction, while the harvesters themselves receive only KES 100-150 per kilogram – a fraction of the international market value.