A warrant of arrest has been issued for a Mutare man who failed to appear in court for judgment in a case involving the alleged illegal possession and attempted sale of a pangolin trophy valued at US$5,000.
Tinotenda Ethan Chinaka failed to attend court on Monday when judgment was due, prompting Harare regional magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka to issue a warrant for his arrest.
His co-accused, Elvis Murombo, was present in court.
The two men are charged with unlawful possession of a protected animal trophy and had been out on bail pending judgment. The matter was postponed to Friday.
Prosecutor Heather Mhlanga-Muokoto told the court that detectives from the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit received a tip-off on December 10, 2025, that two men in Mutare were looking for buyers for a pangolin trophy.
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An undercover detective allegedly contacted Murombo, who agreed to arrange a deal in Harare. However, he reportedly sent Chinaka instead.
Chinaka allegedly met the undercover officer at the corner of Fifth Street and R.G. Mugabe Road carrying a black satchel containing a pangolin trophy wrapped in plastic and concealed in a cement sack.
He allegedly offered to sell it for US$2,500 per kilogramme.
Police arrested Chinaka after he produced the specimen and allegedly failed to provide a possession permit.
He reportedly implicated Murombo, who was later arrested at his workplace in Mutare.
The State alleges that the two had obtained the pangolin from a man known only as Stanley in Mutasa District and intended to sell it in Harare.
The matter was postponed to July 24, 2026, to allow for Chinaka’s arrest and further proceedings.
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