Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Sakabilo Kalembwe
The Ministry of Tourism and Arts’ Department of National Parks and Wildlife working with the Zambia Revenue Authority has arrested three Chinese Nationals and two Zambians for illegal possession 25 rhino horn pieces weighing 32.2 Kilogrammes.
And the Ministry has assured the public that no rhinos have been poached in Zambia’s National Parks nor had rhino horns stolen from Government stockpiles as being reported by some sections of the social media story that featured on some online news outlets regarding the arrest of a Chinese woman at the OR Tambo Airport in South Africa for being in possession of 11 Rhino Horns which were found in her luggage.
Ministry of Tourism Spokesperson Sakabilo Kalembwe has told QFM News that the suspects were nabbed at the Chanida Border Post that links Zambia to Mozambique.
Mr. Kalembwe says they are expected to appear before court to soon.
In a related development, the woman who was nabbed at OR Tambo is said to have travelled from Lusaka’s Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to Hong Kong via Johannesburg where she was arrested and since appeared in Court in South Africa.
He says the Department of National Parks together with other security wings have contacted the South African Authorities to provide details of the suspect in order to carry out further investigations to establish how the luggage containing the rhino horn eluded security checks at the airport and establish source of the rhino horns.