Nine Zimbabweans, Mozambicans arrested for rhino poaching in SA

Maputo — The South African police on Sunday arrested nine Mozambicans and Zimbabweans suspected of rhino poaching at a game farm in Lephalale, in the northern province of Limpopo. According to police spokesman Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi, cited on the “Times Live” South African website, the poachers were arrested while they were setting a fire inside the game park “to lure the animals to a spot where they would then kill the rhinos and dehorn them." The brigadier said the same gang was linked to a case in the same area where a rhino calf was killed two months ago. "The same modus operandi of burning a field was used to kill and dehorn the calf”, he said. Police confiscated a camera that was used to take pictures of the game farm, the rhinos and the movement of the owners. A grinder, a generator and two vehicles were also confiscated. The police did not say how many of the group were Mozambicans, and how many were Zimbabweans. Mulaudzi did not yet have the names of any of the poachers. In a separate case, two Mozambicans, named as Steve Mbombi and Roy Baloyi, appeared on Friday in the Lephalale Magistrate's Court to face charges related to poaching, said Muluadzi. Police confiscated a hunting rifle and an axe from them after they allegedly tried to poach game in the Kruger National Park. Their case was postponed to 15 March. Source: Online