News / National
Four in court for possession of raw unmarked ivory
07 Feb 2024 at 13:22hrs | Views
Four accused Hwange men were dragged to Court on Monday morning for allegedly possessing raw unmarked ivory without a license.
The suspects, Wilson Chuma (43), Billiard Nyoni (29), Morris Mumpande (33) and Amos Muleya (44) were all remanded in custody to February 20 by Hwange Magistrate Court Magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Yolanda Kabasa Kabonzo to allow further Police investigations into the matter.
Prosecutor Miss Brenda Ndlovu alleged that on February 3, and at around 1200 hours, CID Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit Victoria Falls (Hwange Base) received information to the effect that accused persons were in possession of elephant tusks at Lambo Area, Hwange and were intending to sell them.
The Police detectives then teamed up with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority investigation team and proceeded to Lambo Area, Hwange where they pretended as potential buyers and picked two suspects Nyoni and Amos Muleya.
The two suspects lead the detectives to GVZ area Hwange where Chuma was picked. Chuma and Mulaya lead the investigating team to Matetsi Meats turn-off along Hwange-Victoria Falls road where they disembarked from the motor vehicle and entered in the bush whereupon return Chuma and Nyoni came holding one raw unmarked ivory each and entered into the motor vehicle leading to their subsequent arrest after failing to produce a licence or a permit authorizing them to be in possession of raw unmarked ivory.
The recovered 2 pieces of ivory were taken as exhibits and weighed at Zim Post office in Hwange where they weighed 6.6 kilograms.
The suspects were interviewed to ascertain the origin of the tusks and indicated that they picked the unmarked raw ivory hidden at a river in the bush in Deka river Hwange sometime in August 2023.
Total value of recovered ivory is yet to be asertained by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and Investigations are in progress.
The suspects, Wilson Chuma (43), Billiard Nyoni (29), Morris Mumpande (33) and Amos Muleya (44) were all remanded in custody to February 20 by Hwange Magistrate Court Magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Yolanda Kabasa Kabonzo to allow further Police investigations into the matter.
Prosecutor Miss Brenda Ndlovu alleged that on February 3, and at around 1200 hours, CID Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit Victoria Falls (Hwange Base) received information to the effect that accused persons were in possession of elephant tusks at Lambo Area, Hwange and were intending to sell them.
The Police detectives then teamed up with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority investigation team and proceeded to Lambo Area, Hwange where they pretended as potential buyers and picked two suspects Nyoni and Amos Muleya.
The recovered 2 pieces of ivory were taken as exhibits and weighed at Zim Post office in Hwange where they weighed 6.6 kilograms.
The suspects were interviewed to ascertain the origin of the tusks and indicated that they picked the unmarked raw ivory hidden at a river in the bush in Deka river Hwange sometime in August 2023.
Total value of recovered ivory is yet to be asertained by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and Investigations are in progress.
Source - Byo24News
