CHINESE NATIONAL STASHES RHINO HORNS WORTH US$350,000 IN OWL SCULPTURE, ATTEMPTS TO SMUGGLE THEM OUT OF ZIMBABWE

A Chinese national has been arrested on allegations of attempting to smuggle rhino horns worth US$350,000 out of the country.

 

The horns were found stashed in an owl sculpture.

 

The suspect is Lin Wang. He will be jointly charged with Cuthbert Maoko, a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) official who is already on remand.

 

Wang is being charged for contravening the Parks and Wildlife Act.

 

He was remanded in custody when he appeared before Harare magistrate Isheanesu Matova who advised him to seek bail at the High Court.

 

According to prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, on 12 September 2024 Wang went to the airport holding a 13-kilogram owl-hardened plastic sculpture to which he intended to facilitate its shipment to China by processing its export papers.

 

It is alleged that security officials observed the accused holding the parcel which looked suspicious and alerted other stakeholders.

 

“The sculpture was put on AGS Scanner and the image was not consistent which prompted the stakeholders to want to verify what was contained therein.

 

“The sculpture was placed on items held by Zimra on receipt number 029910A on 12 September 2024 awaiting a two months period. After the lapse of the two-month period and on the 20 November 2024, the concerned stakeholders who first witnessed the item being taken into custody by ZIMRA were again summoned to witness the breaking of the sculptor the clearing agent.

 

“When the sculpture was broken, it was discovered that there were five rhino horn pieces which were wrapped by a newspaper and tied by a transparent plastic hidden inside.”

 

The agent implicated the accused as the one who gave him the sculpture which contained the recovered rhino horn pieces.

 

The agent called Wang to come to the airport to answer the questions relating to the case but the accused disappeared.

 

The five Rhino horn pieces were seized by Zimra on notice of seizure receipt number 024315L.

 

“The recovered exhibit was conveyed to Zimparks for assaying where it was assayed in the presence of the agent since the accused was on the run and it was found to be five pieces of rhino horns all valued at US$360,000.” *_-NewZimbabwe_*