Duo nabbed with elephant tusks

Oscar J Jeke

A 47-year-old man Passivel Togara and an unidentified foreign national have been arrested at Katakura area in Rushinga for illegal possession of five elephant tusks weighing 18,7 kilograms.

The tusks are valued at US$3 183.25.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police revealed that the arrest was made by Detectives from CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit, Mt Darwin acting on received information and posed as potential buyers leading to the arrest of the two.

“Detectives from CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna, Mt Darwin acted on received information and arrested Passivel Togara, 47, and a foreign national at Katakura area, Rushinga for unlawful possession of five elephant tusks weighing 18.7 kilogrammes and valued at US$3 183.25.

“The detectives had posed as potential buyers of elephant tusks,” the police said.

There has been a surge in poaching related activities, with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority recording a total of 322 elephants being killed by poachers between 2016 and 2019 largely for tusks.

This has prompted response from law enforcement, which has seen a number of arrests being made on such related activities.

A single tusk weighing up to 110 kilogrammes can sell for as much as US$165 000 on the black market, costing the country millions in revenue.