Ivory lands pair in trouble (Zimbabwe)
Ivory lands pair in trouble (Zimbabwe)
Sunday Observer
February 21, 2010
AN alert Guruve policeman last Thursday arrested two suspected poachers who had 14 pieces of elephant tusks stashed in two suitcases on board a Harare-bound bus.
Mashonaland Central provincial police spokesperson Inspector Memory Pamire said the duo, whose names are still to be released, boarded a commuter omnibus at Mavuradonha Escarpment in the Guruve area with the suitcases.
The two suspects, aged 26 and 28, tried to disembark from the omnibus at Dande River after they noticed that there was a policeman travelling with them.
The policeman, who had observed the two suspects acting suspiciously, ordered them to remain on the omnibus.
When the omnibus reached a roadblock at Mahuwe the suspects were ordered to disembark and their suitcases were searched leading to the discovery of the ivory. They were arrested and held at Guruve Police Station.
Insp Pamire said the ivory tusks were neatly cut into 14 pieces and police believe the suspects could be part of a syndicate.
“Indications are that there were two large elephant tusks that had been cut into 14 pieces. We also believe that these suspects could be part of a well-organised syndicate that could involve some people from Zambia and Mozambique who market the ivory in Harare,” she said.
Insp Pamire said poaching was rife in the Mushumbi area but revealed that police had managed to arrest a number of suspects since the beginning of the year.
“Since the start of the year, we have caught a number of poachers. Most of them operate in the areas surrounding the Mozambique and Zambia borders because there are many elephants and rhinos there,” she said.
Last week, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) secretary-general, Mr Willem Winjstekers, was in the country to familiarise himself with Zimbabwe’s wildlife practices following reports from some circles that the country was battling to control rampant poaching.
However, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Cde Francis Nhema and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said poaching had significantly decreased over the past 15 months because of heightened security.
The Government said 13 people were killed during exchanges of gunfire with police and rangers while 103 were arrested.
A total of 61 cases were investigated for poaching last year.
The Parks Authority is also working in collaboration with the police Border Control Unit to curb the illegal export of wildlife products.
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