Two cops nabbed over K1bn ivory

March 2, 2009

Zambia Wildlife Authority (Zawa) yesterday arrested four people, including two police officers, in Kafue for trafficking in ivory and rhino horns worth more than K1 billion.

Zawa director general, Lewis Saiwana said March 1 that the suspects were arrested for trafficking in 72 pieces of elephant ivory and five pieces of rhino horns.

Dr Saiwana named the two police officers as detective sub-inspector Mutakatala Mwiya of House No 42/20 and Soviet Munsanje, 34, of House number G352 both of Lusaka’ Old Kanyama Township.

He was speaking to journalists at Zawa Chilanga head office when he inspected the confiscated ivory packed together with pieces of amethyst gemstones concealed in six trunks. For such huge ivory, Dr Saiwana said the poachers killed 36 elephants but, however, said it was suspected that the animals were killed from neighbouring countries and not in Zambia.

He said the four suspects were arrested by Zawa and Zambia police Chilanga traffic officers after a tip-off from members of the public in Kafue who quickly alerted Zawa yesterday.

“In our continued effort to clamp down on the scourge and illegal trafficking of wildlife products, Zawa stepped up its operations to arrest the situation. This was in an operation conducted early this morning (yesterday) in the Kafue District, and we managed to arrest two police officers and two other civilians,” Dr Saiwana said.

The suspects loaded the contraband into a private Toyota minibus that was also seized by the officers and is currently parked at Zawa offices in Chilanga. Dr Saiwana, however, said all Zambian rhinoceros were safe and not endangered because of the stringent 24-hour security services provided by Zawa.

“In Mosi-oa-Tunya national park, all the five rhinos are very protected and the other 23 black rhinoceros in North Luangwa national park are safe,” he said.