Poacher in DiCaprio documentary acquitted of several charges
DODOMA, Tanzania — A Tanzanian poacher who was a subject of a documentary co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio has been acquitted of several wildlife trafficking charges, though he is in prison for a related crime.
Boniface Methew Malyango, nicknamed “The Devil Has No Mercy,” was acquitted on Wednesday of illegal possession of elephant tusks and other charges, authorities in Tanzania said. However, he was sentenced in March to 12 years in prison for organized crime linked to wildlife trafficking.
The 2016 Netflix documentary “The Ivory Game” partly focuses on the activities of Malyango, who could have faced more years in prison if he had been convicted. A Tanzanian court this week concluded that there was not enough evidence to convict him, though several of his associates were sentenced to long prison terms.
Separately, the leader of an East African ivory poaching ring was arrested in Mozambique on July 11, the Wildlife Conservation Society said.