Navara | |
---|---|
Born | Simon Ernesto Valoi 1977 (age 46–47) |
Other names | Simon Tivani |
Occupation | Rhinoceros poacher |
Criminal charges | Poaching |
Criminal penalty | 30 years |
Criminal status | Incarcerated |
Simon Ernesto Valoi (born c. 1977), [1] nicknamed Navara, is a convicted Mozambician rhinoceros poacher.
Navara was born c. 1977. His first crimes were stealing cars, where he got his nickname of Navara, because he often stole the Nissan Navara. [2] He is also a fugitive wanted for two murder charges in South Africa. [3] He poached rhinos in Kruger National Park, and controlled about 15 different poaching gangs. He lived in a mansion in the Massingir district that he constructed using profits from his poaching. [4]
In 2015, Valoi was responsible for the kidnapping of Bartholomäus Grill of Der Spiegel, during which he threatened his life. [5] Valoi was not arrested by the Massingir police, instead, Grill was fined for trespassing on Valoi's property. [6]
On 26 July 2022, Valoi was arrested in a sting operation alongside an associate, Paulo Zukula in Maputo for possessing eight rhino horns, weighing 7.5 kilograms (17 lb), worth $470,000, from the Gaza Province. [7] Pretending to be corrupt, they gave him a wiretapped mobile phone for him to make calls with, which they used to arrest his other associates. He was re-arrested in 2023, and is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence. [8]