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Two Zambia security officers nabbed with rhino horns

Xinhua, May 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Authorities in Zambia have arrested four people, including two security officers, for illegal possession of rhino horns, a senior wildlife official said on Thursday.

A flight sergeant and a captain in the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) were arrested with two others in Lusaka, the country's capital, with the contraband weighing up to 3.9 kilograms, according to a statement released by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife.

Sakabilo Kalebwe, Ministry of Tourism and Arts public relations officer said in the statement that the quartet was cornered at an upmarket shopping mall in the Zambian capital and has been charged with unlawful possession of rhino horns.

If found guilty, the suspects will serve a minimum jail sentence of between 5 and 25 years for first offenders, the statement added.

"Second and subsequent offenders get stiffer punishment. The offense has no option of a fine,"the statement said.

In 2014, Zambia declared its commitment against poaching and wildlife crimes by engaging the military to fight the scourge.

Early this month, the Ministry of Tourism and Arts requested members of the public in possession of legally acquired elephant tusks and rhino horns, whether raw or processed, to declare them to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife by August 31, 2016 with the view of issuing certificates of ownership.

The move is aimed at helping the department to update its database and inform the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on ivory and rhino horn stocks in Zambia. Endit