Suspected ivory poachers in court

Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent

Two suspected poachers who were selling four ivory tusks have appeared in court.

Killion Wonder Jakalasi (59) and Gilbert Marengu (45) who are being represented by Mr Moffat Makuvatsine appeared before Harare Magistrate Mrs Ruth Moyo charged with selling raw and unmarked ivory without a license.

They were remanded in custody and the matter returns to court on July 3.

Detective Constable Mushandu of Criminal Investigation Department of Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit, Harare alleged that on June 13, at around 10am detectives received information from Omali Ajida that Marengu was in possession of unmarked of raw ivory and was looking for potential buyers.

The informant was then tasked to verify the authenticity of the information by asking Marengu to send pictures of the ivory and he did.

The detectives then pretended to be potential ivory buyers and proceeded to Dzivarasekwa 1 in Harare led by Ajida and met with Marengu at his home.

When they asked to see the ivory, he told them that it was being kept at Jakalasi’s house.

The detectives remained behind at Dzivarasekwa 1 Community Centre basketball pitch whilst Ajida accompanied Marengu to Jakalasi’s house.

Ajida came to Dzivarasekwa 1 Community Centre basketball pitch with Marengu holding a pink supermarket shopping bag which had some contents in it which was later established to be ivory.

The two got into the purported buyer’s vehicle and opened the pink bag and established that it had four pieces of unmarked ivory.

The two were immediately arrested on the scene.