3 men arrested for possession of elephant tusks and rhino horns
Published: 2013 January 31 14:48:10 (4944 Views)
Boniface Ndlovu (35), Casper Kombana (43) and Danford Ndebele (35), who are well known dealers in the coal mining town, were arrested after officers from the Criminal Investigation Department set a trap on them in Hwange.
Ndlovu is employed at St Patrick’s Hospital in Hwange, Kombana works at Hwange Colliery Company Limited while Ndebele is a Delta Beverages employee.
Acting provincial police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Province Sergeant Eglon Nkala confirmed the arrest of the trio and said they are expected to appear in court today.
They are being charged with violating some sections of the Parks and Wildlife Act.
“On 23 December last year, police received a tip off that three men had approached a Hwange National Park ranger and enticed him to steal an elephant tusk and a rhino horn. The ranger agreed to their terms and promised to meet the accused persons at the Sinamatela area of the Hwange National Park where the deal was supposed to be conducted,” said Sgt Nkala.
However, the ranger allegedly alerted his superiors who in turn alerted police. A team of detectives and rangers was dispatched to set a trap.
“The parks ranger involved in the deal was given two elephant tusks and two rhino horns and waited for the accused persons who arrived in a green Toyota Noah vehicle owned and driven by Ndebele. It could not be established how much the deal was supposed to be but Ndebele gave the parks ranger $5 900 and surrendered his passport number CN 730605 and a registration book for his car as surety for the balance.
“The accused persons were given two elephant tusks and two rhino horns which they loaded into their vehicle. They were then intercepted and arrested by the detectives before they could leave the scene,” said Sgt Nkala.
Meanwhile, three Zambian men and a Zimbabwean have appeared in court on allegations of poaching and killing a rhino at the Matopos National Park.
Kamake Kaliye (43), Kapumba Evans Kambungo (44), Peter Kangumbe (42) and Mpendulo Ncube (38) pleaded not guilty when they appeared before senior Western Division regional magistrate Mr Owen Tagu.
Kaliye, of 90/96 Kanyama Lusaka, Zambia, Kambungo, of 2957 L/M Kabawawa West Site and Service in Lusaka or alternatively 3372 Ocean Road Marindale, Norton in Zimbabwe, Kangumbe, of MV260 Makeni, Lusaka and Ncube, of 30098/1 Entumbane are being charged with violating Section (45)(a)(2) of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20:14, which prohibits hunting any specially protected animal.
The four, who are being represented by Mr Sifelizwe Mguni, of R Ndlovu and Company, were remanded in custody to 1 February for continuation of trial.
The State led by Mr Admire Chikwayi invited a witness, Detective Sergeant Manyangadze Tagwireyi, who testified on how Kaliye, Kambungo, Kangumbe and Ncube were arrested and subsequently, led police to the carcass of the rhino and where they had hidden an AK rifle and other weapons.
The State will seek to prove that on 17 October last year, police in Matopo received a tip-off that the four were driving a Nissan Terrano intending to go to Matopos National Park.
At about 8pm, police mounted a roadblock along the Bulawayo-Kezi Road where they intercepted and arrested Kaliye, Kambungo, Kangumbe and Ncube.
The four allegedly told the police that they were going to Kezi to buy gold.
Police then arrested them for dealing in gold without a licence and they were taken to Matopos Police Station.
Two days later, the four were taken to the Minerals Unit in Bulawayo for further questioning and Kaliye and Kambungo allegedly told the police that they had a rifle hidden underground in Matopo.
Kaliye and Kambungo led detectives to a place near the Bulawayo-Kezi highway in Matopo where the AK rifle, an AK magazine loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition, 82 loose rounds, one axe and two knives were buried about 30 cm underground and wrapped in a plastic bag.
Upon further questioning, Kaliye and Kambungo allegedly told the police that they had hunted and killed a black rhino in September in company of Monde Vemba, Tavengwa Mazhongwe and Dube, who are still at large.
Kaliye and Kambungo then led police to a place in the park where a decomposing carcass of the rhino was found.
The duo indicated to the police that they used the Nissan Terrano to ferry the horn of the rhino to Bulawayo in the company of Kangumbe and Ncube.
The rhino was valued at $120 000.
- chronicle
Ndlovu is employed at St Patrick’s Hospital in Hwange, Kombana works at Hwange Colliery Company Limited while Ndebele is a Delta Beverages employee.
Acting provincial police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Province Sergeant Eglon Nkala confirmed the arrest of the trio and said they are expected to appear in court today.
They are being charged with violating some sections of the Parks and Wildlife Act.
“On 23 December last year, police received a tip off that three men had approached a Hwange National Park ranger and enticed him to steal an elephant tusk and a rhino horn. The ranger agreed to their terms and promised to meet the accused persons at the Sinamatela area of the Hwange National Park where the deal was supposed to be conducted,” said Sgt Nkala.
However, the ranger allegedly alerted his superiors who in turn alerted police. A team of detectives and rangers was dispatched to set a trap.
“The parks ranger involved in the deal was given two elephant tusks and two rhino horns and waited for the accused persons who arrived in a green Toyota Noah vehicle owned and driven by Ndebele. It could not be established how much the deal was supposed to be but Ndebele gave the parks ranger $5 900 and surrendered his passport number CN 730605 and a registration book for his car as surety for the balance.
“The accused persons were given two elephant tusks and two rhino horns which they loaded into their vehicle. They were then intercepted and arrested by the detectives before they could leave the scene,” said Sgt Nkala.
Meanwhile, three Zambian men and a Zimbabwean have appeared in court on allegations of poaching and killing a rhino at the Matopos National Park.
Kamake Kaliye (43), Kapumba Evans Kambungo (44), Peter Kangumbe (42) and Mpendulo Ncube (38) pleaded not guilty when they appeared before senior Western Division regional magistrate Mr Owen Tagu.
Kaliye, of 90/96 Kanyama Lusaka, Zambia, Kambungo, of 2957 L/M Kabawawa West Site and Service in Lusaka or alternatively 3372 Ocean Road Marindale, Norton in Zimbabwe, Kangumbe, of MV260 Makeni, Lusaka and Ncube, of 30098/1 Entumbane are being charged with violating Section (45)(a)(2) of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20:14, which prohibits hunting any specially protected animal.
The four, who are being represented by Mr Sifelizwe Mguni, of R Ndlovu and Company, were remanded in custody to 1 February for continuation of trial.
The State led by Mr Admire Chikwayi invited a witness, Detective Sergeant Manyangadze Tagwireyi, who testified on how Kaliye, Kambungo, Kangumbe and Ncube were arrested and subsequently, led police to the carcass of the rhino and where they had hidden an AK rifle and other weapons.
The State will seek to prove that on 17 October last year, police in Matopo received a tip-off that the four were driving a Nissan Terrano intending to go to Matopos National Park.
At about 8pm, police mounted a roadblock along the Bulawayo-Kezi Road where they intercepted and arrested Kaliye, Kambungo, Kangumbe and Ncube.
The four allegedly told the police that they were going to Kezi to buy gold.
Police then arrested them for dealing in gold without a licence and they were taken to Matopos Police Station.
Two days later, the four were taken to the Minerals Unit in Bulawayo for further questioning and Kaliye and Kambungo allegedly told the police that they had a rifle hidden underground in Matopo.
Kaliye and Kambungo led detectives to a place near the Bulawayo-Kezi highway in Matopo where the AK rifle, an AK magazine loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition, 82 loose rounds, one axe and two knives were buried about 30 cm underground and wrapped in a plastic bag.
Upon further questioning, Kaliye and Kambungo allegedly told the police that they had hunted and killed a black rhino in September in company of Monde Vemba, Tavengwa Mazhongwe and Dube, who are still at large.
Kaliye and Kambungo then led police to a place in the park where a decomposing carcass of the rhino was found.
The duo indicated to the police that they used the Nissan Terrano to ferry the horn of the rhino to Bulawayo in the company of Kangumbe and Ncube.
The rhino was valued at $120 000.
- chronicle
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