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Mashonaland East Bureau

Three suspected poachers who shot dead three impala and one bush buck were denied bail when they appeared before Marondera Magistrate Ms Patience Chirimo.

James Munhupedzi (48), Tineyi Chari (40) and Simbarashe Tumba (22) allegedly went to Eldorado Game Park near Macheke armed with rifles and while there, and in the middle of the night, they shot and killed the four antelopes.

Reports say Mr Andrias Vannard, a supervisor at the park was on a night duty with three security guards when he heard gunshots so he woke up Mr Sean Saywood and the other guards and they teamed up and headed in the direction where the gunshots were heard.

Suddenly, they saw a torch light from a slow moving vehicle in the game park. Mr Saywood fired warning shots prompting the suspects to speed off in a Toyota Hilux with the security guards and officials from the game park in hot pursuit.

But the driver of the Toyota Hilux lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road and landed in a ditch resulting in the arrest of the three and the recovery of the four carcasses.

Detectives from CID Flora and Fauna Unit in Marondera and others from Macheke and officers from Marondera National Park attended the scene and recovered two rifles, one fitted with a telescope sight, several rounds of ammunition, three spent cartridges, a machete, two knives, one magazine, an axe and a hunting torch.

The Toyota Hilux allegedly belongs to one of the arrested suspects, James Munhupedzi, who is believed to be a Treetop Security official.

Ms Phumuzile Ndlovu prosecuted for the state. Meanwhile, police in Mahusekwa, Mashonaland East Province have arrested Brighton Magaisan (36), Petros Chibanda (24) and Prince Chigudu (26) on allegations of stock theft and recovered 45 goats worth $140 000 which were in their possession.

Their arrest followed a tip-off by members of the public which police followed up by going to Mujokora Farm where they arrested Magaisan at his homestead and recovered the goats.

During the interview with the police, Magaisan implicated Chibanda and Chigudu and the three allegedly revealed that they had stolen the goats from nine homesteads in Mahusekwa.

The goats were positively identified by their owners.

Mashonaland East Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Simon Chazovachiyi confirmed the arrests.