Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini-Court Reporter
FIVE men landed in the dock yesterday after they were found in illegal possession of ivory in Harare.
John Dzingai Manomano, Sign Siayowa, Charity Kowo, Panashe Graham Sithole and Tanaka Mutopo appeared before Harare magistrate Lisa Mutendereki.
Allegations are that on February 7, detectives from CID Minerals received information to the effect that the gang was in illegal possession of ivory and bush pig teeth and were looking for buyers.
The detectives managed to obtain Manomano’s cellphone number, with one of them purporting to be a wildlife product buyer.
They arranged to meet in the Avenues area in Harare to finalise the transaction.
Manomano called back the purported buyer at around 9am on the same day and told him that they were at a hotel in the area waiting to finalise the deal.
The detectives proceeded to the said place in two vehicles.
The surveillance team went ahead and parked at the corner of Fifth Street and Herbert Chitepo Avenue while the purported buyer later arrived and parked near the surveillance team‘s vehicle.
The purported buyer called Manomano to his vehicle and he went in the company of his accomplices.
The purported buyer and the gang settled for US$1 400 per kilogramme of ivory and the bush pig teeth price was to be ascertained as soon as the purported buyer had seen them.
Manomano indicated that the ivory and the bush pig teeth were with his accomplices, who were parked a few metres away in a Honda Fit.
He disembarked the purported buyer’s vehicle and went to his accomplices and took the ivory, which was in a white bag, leading to the arrest of the gang.
The police recovered five pieces of ivory and three bush pig teeth from the white sack.
The gang was asked to produce any document or permit authorising it to possess the ivory and the bush pig teeth, but it failed, leading to their arrest.
The total value of the recovered exhibits is US$2 164.
