Trio in trouble over tusks

Crime Reporter
March 9, 2010

POLICE last week swooped on three suspected ivory tusk dealers in the city centre and recovered five tusks worth over US$6 000.

George Vushe (35), Tongai Matsika (28) and Christopher Mubhasera (40) are now helping police with investigations.

They are expected to appear in court soon.

CID Border Control Unit spokesperson Detective Assistant Inspector Godfrey Mubaiwa said the three were arrested after a tip-off from members of the public who had spotted them making some transactions at premises along Indigenous Way in the Willowvale industrial area.

When the detectives arrived at the scene, they had a scuffle with the three as they attempted to flee but managed to arrest them.

The trio’s arrest led police to recover some bags that contained five tusks and various pieces of ivory all worth US$6 240.

The arrests also come at a time when Zimbabwe recently joined other nations in an international operation against the use of endangered plants and animals in traditional medicine under the International Police (Interpol).

According to Interpol, national wildlife enforcement authorities, police, customs and specialised units from 18 countries across the world worked together as part of Operation Tram which ran from February 1 to 28.

"Operation Tram revealed a large amount of medicines either containing or marketing the use of illegal ingredients such as tiger, bear and rhinoceros," said the French-based international co-ordinating body.

Also seized during the operation were tiger bones, anteater scales and bear gall bladders.

Illegal animal and plant products with a retail value of 10 million euros (US$13.6 million) were seized in a month-long drive carried out by forces around the world, the global law enforcement agency Interpol said.

For centuries, traditional Asian healers have used tiger bone to treat arthritis; rhinoceros horn for fevers and convulsions and bear bile to treat various infections, thus encouraging poachers to hunt rare species.

According to online news agencies, police in Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Georgia, India, Italy, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Turkey and Zimbabwe also took part in the operation.