A COMPLEX case filled with accusations, frantic car chases, hidden evidence and freshly-killed prey was exposed yesterday by game wardens on patrol in Mammari.
At around 12.30am yesterday, game wardens heard shots being fired in an area where hunting is not permitted.
A police spokesman said: “The wardens rushed to the scene and after canvassing the area for two hours they noticed a car suspiciously driving through the area.” The spokesman said that the wardens then asked the car to stop but the driver refused to comply and sped off.
“About an hour later and after an intense car chase we finally intercepted the car but upon searching the vehicle and the four men that were in it, we found no solid evidence of any crime” he said.
Police were forced to let the men go, despite suspicions that they were allegedly hunting in the area. The game wardens stayed in the area and their persistence paid off.
At around 5am they spotted another vehicle moving suspiciously in the area.
Another slightly less frantic car chase ensued and after a few minutes the wardens pulled over a 30-year-old woman. “Upon searching her vehicle we found six freshly killed rabbits, 30 bullets and a hunting rifle” the police spokesman said.
The woman initially denied knowledge of the game and rifle in her car but after questioning she admitted that the four men the police pulled over earlier had hid the game and rifle in the area during the chase, and had sent her to pick them up.
The police spokesman said: “The woman was arrested for possession of illegal game, while arrest warrants’ were issued for all four men implicated by the woman’s testimony.”
The men were picked up at around 12 noon yesterday, and despite claiming that they had no knowledge of the woman’s actions, police are confident that they have enough evidence to successfully bring charges against the four individuals. All five suspects are due in court today.
Game wardens have been working under increasingly difficult circumstances. Last week wardens were fired upon by poachers while another man attempted to smash his car into three wardens on November 30.
Police spokesman Michael Katsounotos said: “We have been working closely with the game wardens; they have been doing an exemplary job despite working under very difficult circumstances.” Katsounotos added that wardens should be commended and that the police force “greatly appreciates their hard work.”
