Nehanda Radio is reporting:

A joint operation by the police and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority has busted several poaching syndicates around the country, leading to the arrest of some of the most notorious perpetrators of the crime in the past few weeks.

Police have also recovered more than a tonne of cyanide, as authorities move to clampdown on poaching that has caused the deaths of dozens of elephants and other animals at Hwange National Park and in other parts of the country.

Several gun-totting poachers have been nabbed in the extensive operation, which has seen police officers encountering trigger-happy criminals, resulting in movie-style gun exchanges.

Recently, two police officers were gunned down in Manicaland by suspected poachers but despite this setback, police seem to be winning the war.

National Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, said: “I’m pleased to say that police are now on top of the situation in terms of combating cases of poaching, especially cyanide poaching, which killed a lot of elephants at our national parks last year.

“A large number of culprits fingered in the poaching have been arrested. We have launched operations, which are being carried out by the police support unit in collaboration with the national parks and wildlife authority,” she said.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said a gang of alleged poachers that included the father-and-son duo of Robert and Leonard Ngwenya were arrested after having been on the police’s trail for three weeks.

Robert and Leonard of Lusulu, who used the aliases Kalonga and Tembo Mutale, fled police on December 23, 2015 when they were allegedly caught red-handed with an impala carcass.

Their accomplice Simon Mungombe was arrested on that occasion. He had on him a .303 rifle, four live rounds, one spent cartridge, 17 class one wire snares, an impala carcass and a knife.

The elder Ngwenya (54) even had the cheek to report to police that his gun was missing, before cops discovered that the weapon was being used for poaching.

Said Snr Ass Comm Charamba; “The suspects had been on the police wanted list since December 23 when police arrested one of the poachers, Simon Mungombe who implicated other members of the gang.

“On December 23 at around 1700 hours, three national park rangers namely, Butelezwe Dube, Patson Gwavava and Alfred Chikunde Mungombe in Chizarira National Park were on patrol when they discovered human spoor which they tracked for about 2,5 km and caught up with three poachers armed with a .303 rifle. One of the poachers fired at three rangers who returned fire leading to the arrest of Mungombe who surrendered.”

Two weeks ago, police also arrested poachers in Masvingo and Guruve.

In Masvingo, Jason Chisango (57) was caught by game scouts at Sangi Conservancy, Devure Range and implicated Munashe Mudenge Mugwira, Tavengwa Machona, Batanai Manga, Tavengwa Mazhongwe and Doctor Mazhongwe.

Machona, Manga and Mugwira were arrested in separate incidents.

An AK 47 assault riffle, 7mm Mauser pistol and 303 rifles, four .303 live rounds, one spent cartridge used by the gang to commit poaching activities were recovered. Police in Guruve arrested Henry Zvitete (37) for possessing two elephant tusks worth US$1 382.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said police had recovered large amounts of cyanide in recent months, including more than a tonne of the poison at a warehouse in Bulawayo last Thursday.

“On January 7, the supervisor at BAC Logistics Belmont Bulawayo was found in possession of 116x50kg of sodium cyanide, 9x40kg sulphuric acid and 44x30kg nitric acid. The accused person was asked to produce a licence or permit and failed, leading to his arrest. The value of the recovered substances was US$22 991,” said Snr Asst Comm Charamba.

In another incident in Dete, police recovered 100g of cyanide and arrested Gilbert Mathe, Lucky Mubheuri and Nkululi Ngwenya for possession of the substance.

On New Year’s Eve, police recovered 50kg of cyanide from Brighton Gara (36) of 528 Makusha Shurugwi at roadblock at the 10km peg along the Gweru-Shurugwi-Zvishavane Road. Snr Asst Comm Charamba said more deterrent sentences should be imposed on people found in possession of cyanide.

“What is worrying is that while we are trying to combat cyanide poaching. Most of the culprits who have been arrested have gone to court and they have been given fines of US$20, which are not deterrent enough,” she said. The Sunday Mail

a ton in one warehouse! think of the magnitude of it all. what chance do the Jumbos have aginst numbers like this. Start shooting the bastards or there will be no elephants left alot sooner than we think.

Maybe cyanide should be illegal. Oh yeah, I forgot, it is.

quote:

Originally posted by Barry Groulx:
Maybe cyanide should be illegal. Oh yeah, I forgot, it is.

Yep!

quote:

Originally posted by Barry Groulx:
Maybe cyanide should be illegal. Oh yeah, I forgot, it is.

WHen did a law stop anyone from doing anything they wanted to, anytime?

quote:

WHen did a law stop anyone from doing anything they wanted to, anytime?

Only stops honest people or people who worry about the effects of getting caught.

I think the new diet for poachers caught & jailed should be cyanide. After all, they have a ton of it to use feeding them.

That sounds like a great solution.

quote:

Originally posted by Barry Groulx:

Maybe cyanide should be illegal. Oh yeah, I forgot, it is.

Actually cyanide and most other poisons are not illegal to use in many areas. It is still commonly used by the locals in many areas without repercussions.

A legislative push to ban poisoning is being undertaken in several countries, but it is not a hot topic unfortunately.

Perhaps the authorities should just use the cyanide on the poachers.

And some good news.

https://www.facebook.com/bheja...749119408007?fref=nf

There was a successful contact yesterday at Boss Long One in the Main Camp area of Hwange National Park. One Zambian poacher shot dead and an AK rifle plus 15 rounds and three magazines recovered. Parks call sign led by newly transferred ranger from Zambezi Park, Simon Muchatibaya. New management in Main Camp producing results!!!

http://allafrica.com/stories/201601181123.html



Zimbabwe: Another Zim Elephant Poisoned With Cyanide - Report

By News24 Correspondent


Another elephant has been found dead of cyanide poisoning in north-western Zimbabwe, two months after around 60 elephants were killed in the area, it was reported on Sunday.

According to the state-controlled Sunday Mail, the decomposing body of the elephant was found last week in Sikumi Forest next to Hwange National Park, where poachers have poisoned dozens of elephants since September.

The elephant had been dead for around 10 days.

Poachers had not had time to remove the elephants' tusks, according to the report.

An official from the Forestry Commission, Armstrong Tembo, told the newspaper: "On Tuesday last week our workers recovered the carcass of an elephant that was decomposing. The ivory was also recovered.

"The cause of the death is a mixture of salt and cyanide," he added.

Poachers have commonly poisoned waterholes with cyanide, a fast-acting poison, or they have poisoned salt-licks near waterholes.

There was a hiatus in the poisonings in Hwange over November and December.



One possible contributing factor may be the lack of rain, which has seen elephant numbers reduced in parts of the park as the animals move away to look for water and food.

The Bhejane Trust, a conservation group that operates in the vast national park, said in its latest report this week: "With very few elephants in the Sinamatella area still, we have not had to worry much about any repeat of the cyanide killings."

Twenty-two elephants were poached in a single poisoning incident in Sinamatella, in the north of the park, in October. The authorities believe at least two gangs were involved in the attacks. At least seven people have been reportedly arrested so far, though it is far from certain that the ringleaders have been caught.

The official Herald newspaper reported last week that a man had been arrested at a logistics company in Bulawayo after he was found with more than a tonne of cyanide - and no licence for it - in his warehouse.

Bulawayo is on the main road between the Zimbabwean capital Harare and Hwange National Park

I should think that a ton of cyanide would be quite traceable to its origin, transportation, and even where it was warehoused. An experienced shyster lawyer could get wealthy in a hurry with such information.