A 37-year-old Beitbridge man has been arrested by security agents for smuggling into the country 17 exotic pigeons worth US$3 400 through an illegal entry point along Limpopo River 1.

The man was intercepted after crossing into the country using a wood raft across the river near the national parks compound some 4km west of the Border Post.

The use of inflatable boats and wood rafts is common across the Limpopo River especially during the rainy season.

Security officials from Zimbabwe and South Africa continue to intercept and destroy them.

Peter Ncube of Dulivhadzimu suburb in Beitbridge has since been charged for contravening sections of the Parks and Wildlife Act and the Customs and Excise Act.

He denied the charge when he initially appeared before Beitbridge Magistrate Miss Annia Chimweta yesterday.

Ncube was remanded in custody to January 8 next year.

He was found with six Homer pigeons, four Indian fantail pigeons, three Lahore pigeons and four Modena pigeons.

Prosecuting , Mr Tawanda Chigavazira said on December 22 , at around 2300 hours, detectives from the Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit (MFFU) and national parks rangers were on a security patrol along the river.

The court heard that during that time they received information that Ncube intended to smuggle the pigeons from South Africa. They then laid an ambush on the route he was set to use.

At 11.30pm, Ncube arrived from South Africa after crossing the river on a wood raft. He was carrying the pigeons in a cage and was approached by the security team as he got to the river's bank.

The team asked him to produce import documents and relevant permits to import wildlife and he failed.

Ncube was in turn arrested and the pigeons were recovered.

In 2015, three South African nationals, Edwin Hewitt (49), Hedrick Blignaut (41), and John Herbert Pretorius (49) were arrested along the same river while attempting to smuggle 29 sables worth $435 000 into the neighbouring country.