Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
THREE Mozambican nationals and a local accomplice, who were allegedly selling pangolin scales, faced a rude awakening when they walked straight into a police trap.
The four – Tendai Simione Massimhonda (52), Rosario Balaque Jeque (66), Bento Neto Sicreta (30), all of Mozambique and Shingirai Brown (41), of Tegwe Village under Chief Mutasa – were arrested while attempting to sell the scales, valued at US$5 000, to an undercover operative posing as a traditional healer’s aide.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the arrests, and said the suspects face charges of contravening Section 45(1)(b) of the Parks and Wildlife Act (Chapter 20:14) as read with Statutory Instrument 148 of 2011 for possessing or selling trophies of specially protected animals.
“On October 22, CID Nyanga detectives received information from a reliable source to the effect that the accused persons were intending to travel to Honde Valley area in possession of pangolin scales for rituals.
“On October 23, detectives teamed up with one Parks and Wildlife officer reacting to the supplied information, and proceeded to Hauna Business Centre in Honde Valley. The informer was communicating with Brown pretending to be an aid to a traditional healer.
“On the same date at around 9pm, the team arrived at Hauna Business Centre where they met Jeque and Brown, who led them to Massimhonda and Sicreta. Massimhonda was carrying a red and black satchel with pangolin scales.
“The police team, which was pretending to be ritualistic wearing white gowns went together with accused persons to a secluded area near the business centre, where they introduced themselves to the accused persons as detectives from CID Nyanga and arrested them.
“The pangolin scales were recovered and taken to CID Nyanga as exhibits. The compensation value is US$5 000. Investigations are in progress,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
Four arrested over pangolin scales
