MAPUTO, (Mozambique): Chabane Assuba, a Mozambican poacher, was sentenced to 30 years in prison yesterday (March 21) after he was convicted of committing crimes against animals protected by law, Xinhua quoted Mozambique's national Radio Mozambique report.
Assuba, the defendant, was accused of slaughtering at least 42 lions, 20 elephants and four rhinos, and was found in possession of parts of the animals in December 2022 in the city of Maputo, the country's capital, and intended to sell the products to citizens of Asian origin, the report said quoting the verdict of the Maputo City Judicial Court.
A search was then carried out at the defendant's residence, where more than 600 kg of products of the banned species were seized, said Judge Evandra Uamusse from the Tenth Criminal Section of the Court, quoted the report.
"They correspond to the parts of the prohibited species found in the defendant's house, including 14 lion skulls, 128 bundles of lion tails, 88 lion claws, 57 kg of lion bones divided into three bags, 55 pieces of ivory tusks, 74 elephant bones, and 24 lion jaws," said Uamusse, when reading the sentence.
The panel of judges of the Maputo City Judicial Court also imposed a fine on Assuba for the crimes of money laundering, holding prohibited species, and slaughtering prohibited animals. – Bernama