Limpopo court sentences pangolin poacher to six years in prison

A 28-year-old man was on Thursday sentenced to six years in prison for the possession of an endangered species.

Emmanuel Mlampo and his co-accused were arrested in Mokopane on 12 February after found to be selling a pangolin in the central business district, reports Review Online.

According to earlier reports, the police received information about people, travelling in a white sedan, transporting a pangolin. The police followed up on the information received and a vehicle matching the description given was stopped in the central business district at around 2.50pm. During a search, the members recovered a pangolin and the two men were arrested on the spot and their vehicle seized.

Mlampo pleaded guilty to the charge against him and was sentenced to six years in prison. Meanwhile, the case against his co-accused, 41-year-old Ronald Nelushi, was transferred to the Mahwelereng Regional Court for trial, said police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo.

On Friday, 12 June the police nabbed a 35-year-old man in Tom Burke in the Lephalale Cluster for possession of a pangolin.

Mojapelo says the police received information about a person selling a live pangolin in the Swartwater area.

“Members of the Endangered Species Unit of the police were then activated and succeeded in apprehending the man and confiscating the pangolin after following up on the information provided.”

The accused is expected to appear in the Phalala Magistrate’s Court this week on a charge of possession of an endangered species.

The Acting Provincial Police Commissioner, Maj Genl Jan Scheepers commended the members for the work they are doing and also thanked local communities for providing valuable information to ensure that such culprits are brought to book.