By Peti Siyame
Sumbawanga — POLICE in Katavi Region are holding two people suspected of involvement in smuggling of illegal trophies to neighbouring countries.
The suspects were caught while in possession of 22 pieces of elephant tusks worth 157.5m/- by police who were on routine patrol at Mpanda Township main bus terminal.
Katavi Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Dhahri Kidavashari, told the 'Daily News' that the seized tusks were equivalent to seven poached elephants and weighed at 48.3 kilogrammes.
The RPC named those arrested as Justine Baruti (39), a resident of Ivunge-Katumba at Katumba refugees settlement in Mlele District and Boniface Hoza (40) from Kalela village, Kasulu District in Kigoma Region.
The suspects were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday after police who were on patrol suspected Baruti who was getting ready to board a bus christened Adventure which plies between Mpanda and Kigoma.
"Baruti was a person of interest and he tried to dodge the police but they managed to arrest him and when they searched two of the bags he was carrying, they found 15 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 33 kilogrammes and valued at 90m/-," he said.
Police then ordered the bus driver to take the vehicle to the central police station where further inspection enabled to nab another suspect, Hoza, who had a bag hidden underneath his seat.
The bag had seven pieces of elephant tusks weighing 13.3 kilogrammes worth 67.5m/-, police added. Police are still questioning the suspects to get more information before they are taken to court.
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