The three suspects, who were arrested in a police entrapment operation at the East Rand Mall on March 31 for trying to sell a piece of elephant tusk for R300 000, appeared briefly in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (April 3).
Carlito Mazive (42) and Oswaldo Carlos Magwambe (25), both Mozambican citizens and Vincent Ndlovu (49), a South African citizen, were remanded in custody and are being charged with Restricted Activity Involving Listed Threatened or Protected Species without a permit.
The penalty provision for this offence is: “A maximum fine of R10-million, or a fine equal to three times the commercial value of the specimen of the listed threatened or protected species in respect of which the offence was committed, whichever is the greater, and/or imprisonment of 10 years”.
The piece of tusk was concealed in a backpack and the transaction took place in a parking area at the mall.
According to Capt Juanita Coetzer, communications officer at the Boksburg North SAPS, the arrests followed a joint operation between the Ekurhuleni Central Cluster Task Team, Crime Intelligence and Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Swat.
It is alleged that one of the accused approached another and said he has ivory and he wants “white people to sell it to”. This suspect then approached another man and told him of the tusk for sale, not realising he was speaking to a police informant.
The informant disclosed the story to the police. An entrapment operation was set up and the informant acted as the interested buyer.
One of the accused is a local taxi driver.
The accused will appear in court again on Monday (April 9) for a formal bail application.
Also read: Three nabbed for selling an elephant tusk in Boksburg
