The Senior Resident Magistrate’s court in Lilongwe has sentenced a Zambian national – Kerby Roy Malambo to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for being found in possession of listed species valued at over K53 million. 

The convict was arrested in February last year after being found with 22 pieces of raw African elephant ivory weighing 64.905 kilogrammes without license from a responsible minister.

Delivery his judgement on Thursday, Magistrate Wanangwa Nyirenda said in accordance with evidence rendered by the State, the convict deserves stiffer punishment hence sentencing him to 15 years on all three counts.

In an interview, the State through Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Levison Mangani expressed satisfaction with the sentence.

He said: “As State, we are satisfied with the sentence which has been passed through to the convict, we believe this sentence will deter others that have the like intentions to commit such offenses.”

The 48-year-old Zambian national was convicted on all three counts of being found in possession of specimen of listed species, dealing in government trophy and importing of specimen of protected species without producing to customs officer a valid permit.

Mangani added that the sentence is a deterrent to would-be offenders and the law enforcement won’t relent in dealing with the criminality.

“They have been a lot of wildlife-related cases, people are being arrested, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced.

“We still have new cases, but the law enforcement agencies are trying their best to curb this malpractice,” he stressed.

The convict was arrested on 28 February 2021 at Mwami Border Total Service Station in the border district of Mchinji.