Three men were sentenced to a combined 75 years behind bars. File picture
THREE poachers have been sentenced to a combined 75 years in prison by the Kathu Magistrate’s Court.
The men, aged between 26 and 27, were convicted of several criminal activities, including the murder of one of their co-accused.
The men were also convicted of entering a restricted area where a threatened species resides, entering land with wild animals while in the possession of a firearm, possession of unlawful ammunition and unlicensed firearms, and residing in South Africa illegally.
With two of the convictions running concurrently, the court ruled that each convicted man would serve a total of 25 years’ direct imprisonment.
In April 2020, the police in South Africa and Botswana were informed of four unknown sets of footprints that were spotted entering Barrange farm.
Several parties including helicopter services and the anti-poaching unit were also contacted to assist in tracking the intruders, as the owner of the farm had experienced poachers in the past.
A helicopter crew spotted the intruders and alerted officers on the ground about their whereabouts.
When ground officers approached the intruders, a shootout ensued and one of the intruders was killed. The other three intruders were injured and taken to hospital.
The three survivors made a series of court appearances until their sentencing.