Two Nyanga men have appeared before provincial magistrate Tendai Mahwe charged with possessing an endangered species without a permit.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Lawrence Musunga (36) and Pardington Aidini (27) pleaded not guilty to the charge, and were remanded in custody to September 8 after being advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
According to the State, on August 27, a Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) official, Philemon November, received information that Aidini was selling a live pangolin for $1 500 at his rural home in Nyanga.
The State alleges November arranged that Aidini travel to Harare so the latter could buy the animal and they agreed to meet at around 4am.
On August 28, ZimParks officials and two police detectives from the minerals unit teamed up and went to the Matapi area in Mbare, where they called Aidini, while posing as buyers outside Matapi Police Station.
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Later, it is alleged, Aidini and Musunga arrived and showed November the pangolins, at which point the two detectives pounced and arrested them on the spot.
The two recovered pangolins were valued $5 000 and were taken by ZimParks.
Peter Kachirika appeared for the State.