A 62-year-old Chinese national, Lin Wang, appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court yesterday, facing charges of possessing rhino horns valued at US$360,000. Magistrate Sheunesu Matova remanded Lin in custody until March 11 for routine remand and advised him to approach the High Court for a bail application.
According to Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi, the alleged crime took place on September 12 of last year when Lin attempted to export a purported sculpture from Zimbabwe to China via Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. He met with agent Cuthbert Maoko at the airport’s departure car park before heading to the National Handling Services (NHS) cargo handling area.
It was at NHS that Lin allegedly handed Maoko a 13-kilogram owl-hardened plastic sculpture for shipment to China. While Maoko was processing the export papers, the sculpture was placed in a cardboard box and left under his care.
Airport security officers later examined the sculpture, and upon scanning, the image did not match the expected contents, prompting a deeper investigation. The sculpture was eventually placed under the custody of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), and after two months, the item was broken open in the presence of stakeholders.
Inside, five pieces of rhino horns, wrapped in newspaper and tied with transparent plastic, were discovered. Maoko implicated Lin, stating that the sculpture he was given contained the hidden rhino horns. The case has sparked concerns over wildlife trafficking and the illegal trade of endangered species’ body parts.
