Two Mozambican citizens were apprehended in neighboring Malawi after being found in possession of a protected pangolin.
Malawian police apprehended the suspects, aged 40 and 46, in the central Mchinji district, where they were allegedly looking for a potential buyer for the pangolin.
According to the Mchinji police public relations officer, when questioned, the suspects revealed that the animal was captured in Chifunde, Mozambique’s western Tete province, where they originate.
They are scheduled to appear in court on charges of trafficking endangered species.
Pangolins are the world’s most trafficked mammals, with high demand for their scales and claws used in traditional medicine – and there are fears they will become extinct.
