A Chinese national has been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle five rhino horns worth US$360,000 to China via Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Lin Wang was taken into custody after authorities discovered the illicit wildlife contraband hidden inside a plastic owl sculpture. The sculpture, intended for export, was intercepted by airport stakeholders, including ZIMRA and CID detectives, after a scanner flagged inconsistencies.
The horns, wrapped in newspaper and concealed in plastic, were found when officials broke open the sculpture following a two-month holding period. The clearing agent involved implicated Wang, who allegedly handed him the package before disappearing.
Wang later appeared before Harare magistrate Isheunesu Matova, who remanded him in custody, advising him to apply for bail at the High Court. The case was rolled over to March 11.
Kukurigo (C)