Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
A Chinese man has been found guilty of illegal possession of a pair of rhino horns worth US$120 000 and faces the nine-year mandatory jail sentence for the offence.
Fuxi Wang, who had initially pleaded not guilty, was convicted after a full trial by Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo.
He is expected back in court on Thursday, November 6 2025 for sentencing. The court heard that on February 20 this year, Wang wanted to export a purported sculpture from Zimbabwe to China through the Robert Gabriel International Airport.
He engaged a clearing agent and they met at San De Li Mall in Alexandra Park, Harare, and they agreed on a fee of US$600 for the transaction.
A deposit of US$300 was paid and the parties met again on February 22 for Wang to pay the balance and hand over the sculpture.
On the same day, detectives, who were on surveillance in Alexandra Park along Fleetwood Road in Harare, saw Wang handing over a white plastic parcel to his friend at Number 3 Fleetwood Road.
The friend collected the parcel and drove to San De Li in a hired Nissan X-Trail registration number AFI 0600.
The surveillance team followed at a distance and saw the friend inviting the agent into the hired vehicle.
He paid an additional sum of US$200 to the agent, leaving a balance of US$100.
The detectives pounced on Wang’s friend and identified themselves. Detective Sergeant Kemusi recovered a white plastic bag with a khaki cardboard box concealing the rhino horns from the friend who implicated Wang.
An official from the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Mr Henry Chikonangombe and an immigration officer Mr Hugh Clapton Topera Machona, were summoned to witness the opening of the parcel.
Detective Sergeant Kemusi broke the sculpture and a pair of rhino horns were recovered inside the sculpture, wrapped in a white transparent plastic.
Wang, as the owner of the parcel, was asked to produce a licence or permit authorising him to possess the rhino horns and he failed to produce any, leading to their arrest.
His friend Ling Wang was discharged at the close of the State case.
