Police arrest 15 for illegal mining and poaching in central Mozambique

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Police arrest 15 for illegal mining and poaching in central Mozambique

1:03 CAT | 11 Apr 2017

Lusa (File photo)

Manica police in Mozambique arrested 15 people, including three minors, for poaching and illegal mining in a Macossa district game reserve, Manica police spokeswoman Elsidia Filipe told Lusa news agency on Monday.

The Environmental Police operation was carried out on Friday in Coutada Nove, a game reserve for safaris and sports hunting, and detained 12 people. Hoes, pickaxes and buckets used to extract tourmalines and gold were also seized.

According to police, the area is rich in mineral resources sought after by foreigners, who buy the product and smuggle it out of the country.

Three other persons were caught poaching in the same reserve with a homemade firearm, ammunition and gunpowder.

The arrests come at a time when the number of incidents has fallen dramatically, Filipe said.

In 2011, in addition to animal repopulation, the reserve management company introduced twelve lions in an effort to combat poaching. The cats were imported from the Kruger Park in South Africa, the local administrator told Lusa.

A tourism project linked to biodiversity conservation is being developed in the conservation area. The reserve is home to antelope, gazelle, kudu and giraffe, as well as wild pig, wild boar, monkeys and hyena, among other species threatened by poaching.

Source: Lusa