STAFF WRITER
FIVE Victoria Falls men who claimed that they picked ivory valued at $54 978 in the bush are in trouble.
Albert Ndlovu, 46 of BH 9, Bernard Sibanda, 53 of BH24, Anele Mpofu, 43 of BH56, Stuart Msipa, 52 of BH57, all in the Ndlovu area outside Victoria Falls town, and Ian Mpala, 47 of Mkhosana suburb yesterday appeared before Victoria Falls Magistrate Linda Dzvene facing charges of illegal possession of two elephant tusks.
They were not asked to plead and were remanded in custody to October 14.
According to the State papers, police received a tip-off on September 15 that the five were in possession of elephant tusks, which they were selling.
The state noted that the anti-poaching team comprising police and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers laid an ambush on Mpala, Mpofu and Msipa and found them with a sack containing the two elephant tusks.
This led to their arrest. However, the trio tried to absolve themselves from the crime accusing counterparts Ndlovu and Sibanda of being the owners of the tusks. A follow up was made leading to the arrest of the two at their homes.
Upon inquiry the accused claimed that they picked the tusks in the bush sometime back and kept it.
