FOUR men have appeared in court after they were caught in possession of 73,415kg of ivory without licences.
Joseph Mubaiwa (35), Ouidiance Rundofa (35), William
Manager (45) and Musekiwa Ruzvidzo (47) were facing charges of contravening the
Parks and Wildlife Act when they appeared before Harare provincial magistrate
Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro.
They were remanded in custody to March 4 and advised to
apply bail at the High Court.
It is the State’s case that on February 8, detectives from
CID Minerals Fauna and Flora Unit received information to the effect that they
were four male adults who were in possession of ivory at Dan Bismark Sports
Club in Arcadia, Harare driving a Mercedes Benz looking for buyers.
The court heard that the detectives reacted to the
information and went to the scene where they carried out surveillance. It is
alleged that they saw the accused persons’ car.
The detectives saw Mubaiwa and Rundofa showing Manager and
Ruzvidzo the sacks which had the elephant tusks whilst outside the car.
It is the State’s case that the four accused then got into
the car and showed each other the ivory which was in the rear seat.
The court heard that the detectives came and blocked the
accused’s car shouting police and holding their service identity cards.
One of the detectives fired four warning shots in the air
but the accused persons continued running until Rundofa, Manager and Ruzvidzo
were arrested whilst Mubaiwa managed to escape.
The court heard that the detectives returned to where the
vehicle was and recovered 10 elephant tusks in the boot, nine where wrapped in
a brown sack and one was not.
It is alleged that another elephant tusk was at the rear
seat in the car where Manager and Ruzvidzo were seated prior to their escape.
Mubaiwa was later arrested and all the four failed to
produce a licence which authorised them to deal in ivory.The court heard that
the recovered 11 elephant tusks were taken to the department of Parks and
Wildlife Management Authority for assaying and weighed 73,415kg with a total
value of US$12 480,20. Herald
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