ARUSHA, Tanzania, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian police on Friday announced to have seized nine elephant tusk pieces and one hippo teeth in the south-western part of the east African nation.

Mussa Taibu, Mbeya Regional Police Commander said in a statement that the incident happened on Thursday night at around 10 pm (local time) in Kyela District.

He, however, said that the suspects managed to escape from the police trap and abandoned the ivory haul.

"We've launched manhunt for two people who are behind the ivory haul so that we know the entire syndicate of poaching, and trafficking before taking them to court," the regional police chief said.

"It is not clear where the elephants were killed," said Taibu.

In August last year, Tanzanian authorities seized 368 kilograms of ivory tusks that conservationists believed that were taken from 15 slain elephants.