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Prosper Dembedza Herald Correspondent
Three suspected poachers have appeared in court after they were caught in possession of a pangolin and leopard skin worth US$25 000
Elector Kufandirori (39), Taylor Kurehwetira (70) and Josephine Jiri (73) were facing charges of contravening the Parks and Wildlife Act when they appeared before Harare Magistrate Ms Ethel Chichera.
The trio was remanded in custody to October 27 after the State opposed bail.
It is the State’s case that on October 9, detectives from CID MFFU Harare received a tip off that the accused persons were looking for potential buyers for a ground pangolin (Manis temunincki) trophy and a leopard skin.
Detectives contacted the accused persons and purported to be potential buyers of wildlife products.
The court heard that the accused persons agreed to meet the at Kilwinning Shopping Centre in Hatfield, Harare to seal sale of the wildlife products.
Upon arrival at Kilwinning Shopping Centre, some detectives met the accused persons whilst others were on surveillance as backup team.
It is alleged that the two parties agreed on US$4 000 as the price of pangolin and US$4000 for leopard skin.
After the meeting, the three accused persons disembarked from the vehicle and went to nearby residential houses.
The trio returned to the detectives’ vehicle with Kufandirori holding a sack with a ground pangolin and a leopard skin.
The court heard that the detectives quickly gave a signal to the backup team who identified themselves to the accused persons.
The suspected poachers were requested to produce a permit which authorised them to possess the pangolin and the leopard skin.
All three failed to produce any permit resulting in their apprehension and recovery of the pangolin and skin.
Following interviews with CID officers, it was uncovered that the wildlife products came from Earnest Chirava from Guruve in August.
Parks and Wildlife officials confirmed that the wildlife products; pangolin weighing 3.66kg was valued at US$5 000 while the leopard skin weighing 1,61kg was valued at US$ 20 000.
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