- NWDC employees among 6 arrested for allegedly poaching a buffalo
- the suspects used a council vehicle
- they were caught red handed following a tip off
Police in Gumare have this past Sunday arrested six men who were allegedly found in possession of a buffalo carcass suspected to have been poached in the NG 26 concession area and among them, two are employees of the North West District Council (NWDC).
Police revealed that the suspect had used a council vehicle to carry out the crime across the buffalo fence.
According to the Station Commander, Superintendent Chenamo Orateng, they received a tip-off from a reliable source on Sunday evening about men slaughtering an animal inside the buffalo fence. Police then immediately went to the said location where they reportedly caught the six culprits red handed with the carcass of a buffalo.
Orateng revealed that the suspects are a 58 year old man of Boseja ward in Maun, four men from Tsau village aged 55, 50, 49 and 34 years old as well as a 37 year old from Nokaneng village.
He further revealed that two of the suspects are employees of the North West District Council (NWDC), under the Matimela department with one being a driver while the other one is a herdsman. The two were on an official trip in Kareng.
The Station Commander said the suspects used the NWDC vehicle to travel to the concession area where they reportedly shot down the buffalo before slaughtering it. The carcass was being loaded in the same vehicle. Orateng revealed that a 375 rifle suspected to have been the one used to gun down the buffalo was also found at the crime scene.
The suspects were then taken in to Gumare Police Station for questioning and investigations on the matter are still ongoing. Orateng noted that the men were charged for hunting without a license and they are currently remanded in custody pending their appearance in court.
