A 24-year-old young man is in police custody after being found with ivory in Mchinji district.
Confirming the development to Malawi24, Mchinji Police spokesperson Kaitano Lubrino identified the suspect as Mphatso Moses.
“Indeed Police in Mchinji have arrested a 24-year-old Malawian young man for possessing illegally an elephant ivory,” Lubrino told Malawi24 in a telephone interview.
According to Lubrino, the arrest which is as a result of a cordial working relationship between police and the community, followed a tip-off from a well-wisher who informed Mchinji police about the man who was looking for a market within Mchinji Boma Friday.
The police instituted investigations of which in the process ivory weighing about one kilogram was recovered from the suspect.
In his statement, the suspect Mphatso who hails from Chindamoto village Traditional Authority Jali in Zomba confessed having knowledge of the said protected specimen and disclosed that he was offering it at a price of K1,290 000.
Meanwhile the suspect will appear before Mchinji magistrate court to answer charges of being found in possession of specimen of protected species contrary to section 86 (1) as read with section 110B of National Parks and Wildlife Act.
