Police arrest Choma truck driver for possession of ivory (Zambia)

Author(s)

Edwin Mbulo, The Post

Date Published
A CHOMA truck driver travelling from Botswana has been arrested after alert Zambia Revenue Authority officers detected 16 pieces of ivory hidden in his cabin at Kazungula.
Southern Province police commissioner Mary Chikwanda named the truck driver as 31-year-old Matekenya Matekenya of Macha road area in Choma.
She said the truck horse registration number was ABJ 1039 and the trailer was ABK 1045.
According to a ZRA source, the ivory, which was hidden in the driver’s cabin was detected by the scanner.
“A truck driver has been arrested after we discovered 16 pieces of ivory hidden in his cabin. He was coming from Botswana carrying salt and when we sent the track for scanning, our scanner was able to pick up the hidden ivory. Right now he is in police custody and our superiors here (Kazungula) have since alerted ZAWA who are sending officers from Livingstone,” the sources said.
Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) Musi-oa-Tunya National Park area warden Lusizi Mwale confirmed dispatching officers to get more details of the contraband.
“I can confirm that it is true and we have dispatched officers to Kazungula to get more details and ascertain the contraband,” Mwale said.