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Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A 40-year-old Marondera gardener has been sentenced to an effective nine years in jail for trying to sell six raw pieces of ivory valued at US$1 773.
Harare magistrate Ms Ruth Moyo convicted Ruwen Silion after a full trial.
Prosecutor Ms Nomsa Kangara proved that on April 19, Silion was found in possession of raw ivory that he intended to sell to potential buyers in Avondale, Harare.
Detectives from the CID Minerals, Fauna, and Flora Unit in Harare received a tip-off about the ivory.
They went undercover, posing as buyers, and arranged to meet Silion at the corner of Alpes and Churchill Roads.
At around 10 am, the cops met with Silion. They asked Silion to get into their vehicle and he brought along a black plastic bag containing the ivory.
Upon searching Silion, the detectives recovered six pieces of ivory wrapped in white and brown sacks.
Silion failed to produce a permit authorising him to possess the ivory, leading to his arrest.
The recovered ivory weighed 10,43 kilogrammes and was valued at US$1 773.
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