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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
TWO Harare man have appeared in court after they were caught in possession of 22,88 kilogrammes of ivory worth $326 726 without a licence.
Richard Jocho and Tapiwashe Hove were not asked to plead charged of contravening the Parks and Wildlife Act when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko.
They were remanded in custody and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
The court heard that on May 26, detectives from CID Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit received information to the effect that there were two black male adults who were in possession of ivory at Chisipite Shopping Centre in Harare who were looking for potential buyers.
Armed with this information, the detectives proceeded to the said shopping centre and carried out surveillance at corner Drew and Emmerson Mnangagwa roads.
It is alleged that the detectives observed Jocho carrying a white sack and Hove walking besides him.
The court heard that the detectives quickly approached the two and asked to search the sack where they recovered five unmarked elephant tusks inside it.
It is the State’s case that Jocho and Hove failed to produce any licence which authorises them to posses the ivory, leading to their arrest
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