In Vhembe District, Limpopo, police have detained five men, ages 28 to 42, in connection with illegal hunting activities and obstruction of justice. According to Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the provincial police spokesperson, the arrests took place on Sunday in the villages of Bennde-Mutale and Nkotswi.
Picture: Getaway Gallery
According to IOL, the suspects are accused of hunting buffalo unlawfully within the Kruger National Park. During the incident, one member of the group was fatally injured by a buffalo. To hide the circumstances of the death, the group allegedly shot the animal and moved the body closer to the park’s boundary. A member of the group then contacted the victim’s family to collect the remains.
Upon returning home, the family informed an undertaker about the death. The undertaker, noticing several injuries on the deceased, subsequently alerted the authorities, according to Ledwaba.
The police have initiated investigations into the matter, including inquest proceedings and charges for illegal hunting and defeating the ends of justice. The suspects are scheduled to appear in the Masisi Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
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