News / Regional
Cyanide poisoning - Eight men arrested
25 Nov 2015 at 00:47hrs | Views
Eight men from Hwange and Tsholotsho districts have been arrested on suspicion of being directly linked to the recent incidents of cyanide poisoning which led to the death of scores of elephants between September and October this year.
A security team comprising police officers from the Border Control Unit and Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has arrested eight men believed to be part of a poaching syndicate that has terrorised Hwange National Park.
The arrested are Forget Shoko of Chief Shana area in Hwange, Stephen Moyo of Dete, Gift Ndlovu, Makwikwi Mujeje, James Nkomo, also from Dete, Phathisa Moyo, Thandazani Sibindi and Ngangezwe Khumalo, all from Tsholotsho.
The arrests follows intense investigations that were undertaken by the state security agents following the incidents of cyanide poisoning.
The eight were charged with numerous crimes individually and jointly in some cases for crimes ranging from illegal possession of cyanide, firearms, raw ivory and mbanje.
Shoko pleaded guilty to possessing raw ivory after police recovered a pair of elephant tusks weighing 26 kilogrammes valued at US$6 500 hidden under a bed.
He received a 10-year sentence for the crime.
Shoko told the court that he got the ivory when he, Moyo, Nkomo and Mujeje poisoned elephants using cyanide in Sinamatela area within the Hwange National Park where 23 jumbos were found dead last month.
He was arrested in Lubangwe in Matetsi leading to the recovery of the pair of ivory while Moyo, Sibindi and Khumalo were also arrested on the same day leading to the recovery of three tusks weighing 12 kilogrammes as well as 5 kilogrammes of cyanide.
Moyo was sentenced to three months in jail for possessing cyanide, a further two months for illegal possession of 111 twists of mbanje and two more months for illegal possession of a firearm.
Mujeje was fined $200 or three months in jail in default for possessing a firearm.
Ndlovu, in whose car the firearm was recovered, had charges against him withdrawn after Mujeje exonerated him.
A security team comprising police officers from the Border Control Unit and Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has arrested eight men believed to be part of a poaching syndicate that has terrorised Hwange National Park.
The arrested are Forget Shoko of Chief Shana area in Hwange, Stephen Moyo of Dete, Gift Ndlovu, Makwikwi Mujeje, James Nkomo, also from Dete, Phathisa Moyo, Thandazani Sibindi and Ngangezwe Khumalo, all from Tsholotsho.
The arrests follows intense investigations that were undertaken by the state security agents following the incidents of cyanide poisoning.
The eight were charged with numerous crimes individually and jointly in some cases for crimes ranging from illegal possession of cyanide, firearms, raw ivory and mbanje.
Shoko pleaded guilty to possessing raw ivory after police recovered a pair of elephant tusks weighing 26 kilogrammes valued at US$6 500 hidden under a bed.
He received a 10-year sentence for the crime.
Shoko told the court that he got the ivory when he, Moyo, Nkomo and Mujeje poisoned elephants using cyanide in Sinamatela area within the Hwange National Park where 23 jumbos were found dead last month.
He was arrested in Lubangwe in Matetsi leading to the recovery of the pair of ivory while Moyo, Sibindi and Khumalo were also arrested on the same day leading to the recovery of three tusks weighing 12 kilogrammes as well as 5 kilogrammes of cyanide.
Moyo was sentenced to three months in jail for possessing cyanide, a further two months for illegal possession of 111 twists of mbanje and two more months for illegal possession of a firearm.
Mujeje was fined $200 or three months in jail in default for possessing a firearm.
Ndlovu, in whose car the firearm was recovered, had charges against him withdrawn after Mujeje exonerated him.
Source - zbc
