Elephant tusks dealer jailed 9 years

 

Ray Bande
Senior Reporter

A 24-YEAR-OLD ivory dealer played into the hands of law enforcement agents who posed as potential buyers, leading to his arrest and subsequent sentencing to nine years in prison recently.

Silas Chinaka of Fairview Farm, Old Mutare, appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate, Ms Annie Ndiraya, who convicted him of contravening Section 82(1)(b) of Statutory Instrument 362 of 1990, as read with Section 128 of the Parks and Wildlife Act (Chapter 20:14), which prohibits the “unlawful possession of, or trading in, ivory or any trophy of specially protected animal species”.

 

Prosecutor, Mrs Tafadzwa Zulu said on May 15, at Nyanga Turn-off, along Mutare-Harare Highway, Chinaka unlawfully and intentionally possessed two elephant tusks weighing 14,49 kilogrammes.

 

The court heard that Detective Sergeant Alouis Dzviti, of the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit (Mutare), led the team that lured Chinaka by posing as potential buyers.

 

Mrs Zulu said on May 15 around 8am, Detective Sergeant Dzviti, was on duty at CID offices in Mutare when a tip-off was received, indicating that Chinaka was at Fairview Farm, seeking potential buyers for two elephant tusks.

 

Acting on the tip-off, Detective Sergeant Dzviti telephoned Chinaka, posing as a potential buyer of the two elephant tusks.

 

The court also heard that on the same day, around 10am, Chinaka agreed to meet Detective Sergeant Dzviti at Nyanga Turn-off, believing that he was meeting a genuine buyer.

At around 11am, Detective Sergeant Dzviti, accompanied by Detective Constable Tinashe Marodza, Detective Constable Dominic Nyakuenda, and a team from Zimbabwe National Parks, including Mr Golden Marevesa and Mr Jeremiah Mhlanga, proceeded to Nyanga Turn-off to meet Chinaka as what had been agreed during the telephone conversation.

Mrs Zulu said at around 11.30am, police detectives met Chinaka at Nyanga Turn-off.

 

Chinaka was driving a white Honda Fit (AEB1615), and was alone in the vehicle which was parked by the roadside.

 

The police detectives spotted Chinaka, drove towards him, and parked their vehicle parallel to his.

 

Chinaka called Detective Sergeant Dzviti to his vehicle to inspect the elephant tusks before handing over the payment.

 

Detective Sergeant Dzviti proceeded to Chinaka’s vehicle, and was shown the two elephant tusks hidden in the car boot.

He immediately identified himself by producing his police identity card, and informed Chinaka that he was under arrest.

 

He gave a coded signal to the other detectives, who promptly arrested Chinaka.

 

Chinaka was asked to produce any permit which allowed him to trade, or possess an ivory, and he failed to produce any.

 

The elephant tusks were recovered, and a white Honda Fit was seized by the police.

 

Around 12pm, Chinaka was taken to Zimpost Mutare where the elephant tusks were weighed.

 

The first tusk weighed 7,5 kilogrammes, and was 1,10 metres in length and 36 centimetres base circumference.

 

The second tusk weighed 6,99 kilogrammes, 1,40 metres length and 34 centimetres base circumference.

 

Both tusks are valued at US$ 2 413, and were produced in court as exhibits.