Zimbabwe arrests two notorious poachers

Zimbabwe's national parks agency said Wednesday it had arrested two notorious local wildlife poachers after a joint operation between the police and the parks agency.

Matandira Gomweso and Caston Magejo, whose ages were not given, were arrested in two separate incidents on July 17 and 26 respectively, the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo said in a statement.

She said Gomweso, who was arrested near Matusadonha National Park in the northern part of the country, had been on the run since 2011.

Gomweso was arrested together with two others after they were found in possession of two elephant tusks, she added.

On the other hand, Magejo was arrested at Nyarushanga River in Chishakwe Save Valley Conservancy in Masvingo Province for rhino poaching.

He had teamed up with four other suspects, and a rifle and ammunition were among items recovered when the accused got arrested, Washaya-Moyo said.

Zimbabwe has abundant wildlife animals including elephants and the rhino, but it constantly fights against poachers targeting the ivory for sale.

In 2013, the country witnessed one of its worst poaching cases in years when poachers poisoned more than 100 elephants with cyanide in the country's largest game reserve, Hwange National Park. Enditem