Sunday November 21, 2010
Local News

Warden, poachers kill 46 animals


From PETI SIYAME in Sumbawanga, 20th November 2010 @ 16:00,

POLICE in Mpanda District, Katavi Region, have apprehended a game warden and eleven poachers for allegedly entering and poaching wild animals in Lukwati Forest Reserve.

A total of 46 carcasses of different wild animals worth more than 50m/- were seized.

During the operation various makes of weapons were impounded. They included four shotguns, five hunting rifles and a pistol.

Rukwa Regional Police Commander Isuto Mantage told the 'Sunday News' on Saturday that the suspects were nabbed in different locations in Lukwati Forest Reserve on November 15, this year.

The special operation was mounted by game wardens stationed in Katavi National Park. The RPC said that the first group of six suspected poachers was rounded up and apprehended at Itumba inside the Forest Reserve.

They were in a Toyota Land Cruiser owned by one Sultan Hilal, a resident of the municipality of Sumbawanga.

The group was found in possession of two shotguns and five hunting rifles. The poachers had already killed 25 animals valued at 25m/-.

The carcasses of the animals were found in the motor vehicle. Mr Mantange named the suspects as Edwin Kajuna (45), a game warden from Katavi National Park; Sultan Hilal (40); Julius Raphael (49); Juma Kassim (29); Athuman Yahaya (28) and Obadia Mwasumbi (29).

"On the same day, six other poachers were nabbed at Kipa area inside the Forest Reserve. They were travelling in two Toyota Hilux double cabin vehicles and were armed with two shotguns, a rifle and a pistol.

They had already killed 21 wild animals including antelopes valued at more than 25m/-. The carcasses were found in the two motor vehicles, the RPC said.

He named the six suspects as Amri Khamisi (44), Hamad Said (35), Said Suleiman (33), Suleiman Hamisi (40), Benedicto Sumbizi (20) and Aron Masala (23). He said that police were interrogating the suspects and that they would be arraigned in a court of law once investigation was over.