POLOKWANE – Two poachers have been sentenced to an effective three years imprisonment without the option of a fine for the possession of protected species (pangolin), said the police on Saturday.
Oliver Tambo (37) and Kenny Mandebvui (31), both from Zimbabwe, appeared before the Mankweng Regional Court this week on two counts of possession of protected species (pangolin). This after their arrest on 27 October 2016 said, Police Spokesperson, Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe.
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“These sentences emanate from an incident where members from the stock theft unit and Limpopo Environmental Department were following up on lead where men travelling from Modimolle to Polokwane were spotted with a pangolin. The suspects were stopped, searched and found to be in possession of a pangolin. They were arrested on the scene,” explained Ngoepe.
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This will serve as a perfect example that the police are here to bring all perpetrators of crime to book, especially those who are still committing the illegal poaching of endangered species, he concluded.
