Dumisani Moyo, a high-level wildlife trafficker who was recently arrested, has reportedly already been released on bail in Botswana. This despite his repeated arrests for rhino poaching and being on Interpol’s Red List of most-wanted wildlife criminals.
Why?
How is this even possible?
According to Save The Rhino, this is not the first time Moyo has escaped prosecution for wildlife crime.
Since 2008, Moyo, who is believed to be a leader within Zimbabwean poaching gangs for the past decade, has reportedly bribed his way out of a host of criminal charges.
The organization also shared on its website the following list of Dumisani Moyo’s alleged poaching history:
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2008 – Arrested in rhino poaching investigation in Kwekwe, released without charge.
• 2011 – Implicated within rhino poaching case in Matobo National Park, but not charged.
• 2012 – Alleged involvement in another rhino poaching case in Matobo National Park, but not charged.
• October 2012 – Arrested at a veterinary roadblock in Botswana with a rhino horn in the vehicle. Released on bail and absconded. He was re-arrested in Zimbabwe but his extradition to Botswana failed and it is thought he continued to be involved in poaching in Zimbabwe.
• 2015 – Botswana authorities placed Moyo on Interpol Red List (after extensive work by NGOs).
• December 2015 – Moyo fled to Zambia after a rhino poaching incident in Bubye Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe, where his accomplice was arrested.
• January 2017 – He was named by the Zimbabwean Parks and Wildlife Management Authority as Zimbabwe’s “poaching kingpin.”
• June 2017 – Moyo was arrested in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, due to his Interpol notice and after several challenges he was extradited to Botswana.
• June 2018 – Despite the evidence and his proven flight-risk record, Moyo was granted bail.
“It is hard enough to get people like Moyo into custody,” Cathy Dean, Save the Rhino’s CEO, said in a statement. “The situation we have now is absurd: either the impact of corruption goes further up the chain than we feared, or the political will to tackle wildlife crime is simply lacking. If we are to stop poaching, we need to be able to prosecute king-pins further up the chain of command than the Level 1 ‘shooters and convict those found guilty.”
In Zimbabwe, conservationists are concerned about a series of recent deliberately mishandled court cases that have allowed hardened rhino poachers like Moyo to walk free; calling for greater scrutiny of the law-enforcement process.
Concerned?
There is no doubt that something suspicious is taking place when it comes to not only putting but keeping these types of crooked criminals in jail where they belong.
Rhino poaching is tragic and should never occur in the first place. The fact that alleged kingpins such as Moyo seemingly get away with it with hardly a consequence makes the heartbreaking news of innocent animals lives lost sting that much more!
Moyo Must Be Stopped. Animal Poachers Must Be Stopped. Rhino Poaching Must Be Stopped, Once And For All!
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