By Francisco Raiva, The Club of Mozambique
Two teachers and five other people from Muanza district in Sofala province, including a smallholder and a public administration technician, were arrested this weekend while trying to sell two elephant tusks and the skin of a leopard for 44,000 meticais (24,000 for the tusks and 20,000 for leopard skin).
The main suspect, the alleged smallholder, claimed that he found the items in a stream and asked the two teachers and the civil servant to help him sell them.
The group took the train from Muanza to Dondo, where they met a middleman between the poachers and the buyer at the railway station.
Thanks to a popular tip-off, the police were aware of attempted negotiations. All those involved were arrested and confessed to the crime.
