News / Local
Mobile phone betrays poacher
05 Jan 2017 at 09:01hrs | Views
A poaching escapade by a 43-year-old Kwekwe man went awry recently when he dropped his mobile phone on the crime scene soon after killing a rhinoceros and removed its horns worth $120 000 in Bubye Valley Conservancy, Beitbridge.
Godknows Mashame of 19067 Mbizo 4 Extension is accused of killing the rhino on December 24.
He then went to Kwekwe with his treasure, but police detectives arrested him after tracking him through his mobile phone.
The detectives recovered three firearms (303 rifle, 12-bore shotgun and 122 rifle), two empty magazines, 71 Emmex explosives, Extrex 12 channel GPS, hunter's torch, eight live rounds and two kudu horns from the accused.
Mashame was not asked to plead to contravening a section of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter Rhinoceros), when he appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Godswill Mavenge.
He was remanded in custody to January 16 and advised to apply for bail at the High Court, if he so wished.
Prosecutor Misheck Guwanda told the court that on December 24, Mashame went to Bubye Conservancy where he shot and killed a rhinoceros and removed its horns.
He said the man later disappeared to his base in Kwekwe.
The following day, an employee at the conservancy discovered rhino carcasses and alerted his employer and the matter was reported to the police.
A mobile phone with an Econet number 0771 179 487 and three spent cartridges were recovered from the scene.
Through investigations, police detectives discovered that the mobile phone belonged to Mashame whom they tracked to his house in Kwekwe.
Guwanda said the police went to the man's house where a search was conducted, leading to the recovery of the articles of crime and two kudu horns.
He said they subsequently arrested Mashame.
The rhino was valued at $120 000.
Godknows Mashame of 19067 Mbizo 4 Extension is accused of killing the rhino on December 24.
He then went to Kwekwe with his treasure, but police detectives arrested him after tracking him through his mobile phone.
The detectives recovered three firearms (303 rifle, 12-bore shotgun and 122 rifle), two empty magazines, 71 Emmex explosives, Extrex 12 channel GPS, hunter's torch, eight live rounds and two kudu horns from the accused.
Mashame was not asked to plead to contravening a section of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter Rhinoceros), when he appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Godswill Mavenge.
He was remanded in custody to January 16 and advised to apply for bail at the High Court, if he so wished.
Prosecutor Misheck Guwanda told the court that on December 24, Mashame went to Bubye Conservancy where he shot and killed a rhinoceros and removed its horns.
The following day, an employee at the conservancy discovered rhino carcasses and alerted his employer and the matter was reported to the police.
A mobile phone with an Econet number 0771 179 487 and three spent cartridges were recovered from the scene.
Through investigations, police detectives discovered that the mobile phone belonged to Mashame whom they tracked to his house in Kwekwe.
Guwanda said the police went to the man's house where a search was conducted, leading to the recovery of the articles of crime and two kudu horns.
He said they subsequently arrested Mashame.
The rhino was valued at $120 000.
Source - Zimpapers
