adminLeonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
POLICE have arrested two men from Binga for illegal possession of ivory. Moses Mutale, 37, and his uncle Richard Siatema, age unknown, but both from Siachingunwe area, were arrested in the early hours of yesterday while trying to sell four elephant tusks at Cross-Dete. Police sources said Mutale and Siatema were trapped by police officers acting on a tip-off.
The duo was subsequently arrested by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Hwange before the transaction.
“Mutale once went to Victoria Falls looking for a job and confided in someone that he was selling four elephant tusks, which he was keeping in Binga,” said the source.
“He told the informer that he did not want local buyers and the informer alerted officers from Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife who then informed the police leading to the trap.”
The source said after agreeing to sell their ivory to a disguised buyer, the duo travelled to Binga on Wednesday to bring the consignment.
“They boarded a bus that was going to Bulawayo and dropped off at Cross-Dete where they were whisked away before even selling the tusks which were recovered from a bag they were carrying,” the source said.
The pair was selling the four tusks for $1,800, although the actual value could not be immediately ascertained.
The two suspects are understood to be detained as detectives are carrying out investigations.
Comment could not be obtained from Matabeleland North police as the public relations office said it had not received the report.
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