HARARE magistrate Ruth Moyo yesterday sentenced a 40-year-old man to an effective nine years in jail after he was convicted of illegal possession of ivory. weighing 10 kilogrammes.
Ruwen Silioni, who was employed as a gardener in Marondera, denied the charges during trial.
For the State, prosecutor Mandirasa Chigumira said on April 19 this year, a team of detectives received information that Silioni was looking for potential ivory buyers.
They contacted Silioni purporting to be buyers and the parties agreed to meet along Churchill Road in Harare to conclude the transaction.
A detective, who was posing as buyer, met Silioni who was holding two black plastic bags which he retrieved from a nearby bush.
Silioni showed the detective the plastic bags which contained six pieces of raw unmarked ivory weighing 10 kilogrammes and the back-up team pounced on him before identifying themselves.
The State also submitted that Silioni was asked to produce a permit for possessing the ivory. He failed, leading to his arrest.
The ivory was identified in the presence of Silioni by an official from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority as raw unmarked ivory.
- Gardener jailed 9 years for ivory possession
Keep Reading
The ivory was valued US$ 1 773,10.
