POLICE in Harare have arrested five men on allegations of unlawful possession of ivory.
Harare provincial magistrate Simon Kandiyero remanded Peter Chipanga (47), Innocent Mudondo (37), Tonderai Boora (39), Evidence Zinhoro (39) and Washington Gondo (36) in custody to May 24 for routine remand.
Kandiyero advised the suspects to approach the High Court for bail consideration.
Prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawo said on May 9 this year, detectives from CID Minerals, Fauna and Flora Unit received information that the accused persons were in possession of ivory in Mabvuku, Harare.
The court heard that a detective contacted one of the accused persons and pretended to be an ivory buyer.
The suspects agreed to meet the detective at a supermarket at Kamunhu shopping centre in Mabvuku and the detective who pretended to be a buyer arrived first and later called a back-up team to put the area under surveillance.
The suspects approached the detective and negotiated the price.
Jambawo told the court that the suspects showed the detective the pieces of ivory and he immediately gave a signal to the back-up team which pounced on the suspects.
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They reportedly tried to escape but one of the detectives fired a warning shot which stopped them in their tracks.
The detectives recovered two pieces of ivory from Chipanga.
