A 62-YEAR-OLD Chinese national was dragged before the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing an allegation of possessing rhino horns valued at US$360 000 yesterday.
Harare magistrate Sheunesu Matova remanded Lin Wang in custody to March 11 for routine remand after advising him to approach the High Court for bail application.
Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi alleged that on September 12 last year, Lin wanted to export a purported sculpture from Zimbabwe to China through Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Emirates Airways.
The court heard that Lin met agent Cuthbert Maoko at the airport near the departure car park and went to National Handling Services (NHS) cargo handling area.
While at NHS, Lin allegedly handed over a 13 kilogramme owl-hardened plastic sculpture to the agent to facilitate shipment to China.
Chonzi further alleged that the sculpture was placed in a cardboard box which Lin left, while Maoko was processing the export papers.
The sculpture was physically examined by airport security, but when it was put on an AGS Scanner the image was not consistent prompting the officers to verify what was in the sculpture.
It is alleged that the sculpture was placed under the custody of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
- Chinese arrested for possessing rhino horns
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After the elapsing of two months, stakeholders, who witnessed the item being taken into the custody of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, were summoned to witness the breaking of the sculpture.
When the sculpture was broken, it was discovered that there were five pieces of rhino horns which were wrapped in a newspaper and tied by a transparent plastic hidden inside.
Maoko implicated Lin who gave him the sculpture which contained pieces of rhino horns.
