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Senior Court Reporter
Five people appeared in court yesterday after being arrested on Monday on allegations of illegally possessing four elephant tusks massing 26.9kg of unmarked ivory which they intended to trade at White House Shops in Harare.
Edwell Jori of Kanyemba, Taurai Chinembiru, Josphine Rungwe and Portion Zhuga, all of Kadoma, and Last Mawurukira, who is employed at Sesco Engineering located in Msasa, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with unlawful possession on unmarked ivory.
They were not asked to plead to the charges when they appeared before magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi.
It is the State’s allegation that at around 4pm on Monday, detectives were tipped that the five were in possession of ivory at White House Shops and driving a Toyota Hiace (AFF2436) and were scouting for potential buyers.
Armed with the information, detectives went to the White House Shops where they carried out surveillance and spotted the five in the kombi.
The detectives approached the team and identified themselves before asking to search their car.
Four elephant tusks, which were stashed in a white sack, were then recovered.
They were asked for authority to deal in ivory and failed to produce it, leading to their arrest.
On the same day, Everisto Simayo from Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management went to CID minerals, flora and fauna unit in Harare and he positively identified the tusks as unmarked raw ivory.
They ivory was valued at US$4 573.
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