Seven Chinese nationals appeared in a Zimbabwe court on Thursday, after they were arrested last month with rhino horn pieces worth nearly a million dollars.

They are facing charges of breaching the country's wildlife laws.

Zeng Dengui and Peicon Jang who are both thirty-five years old, Chen Zhiangfu who is thirty years old, Qui Jinchang who is twenty-nine years old, Liu Cheng who is twenty three years old, Yu Xian and Yong Zhu who are both twenty-five years old, were arrested two days before Christmas after police raided their home following a tip-off.

Police detectives found pieces of rhino horn stashed in a mattress, plastic bags and in boxes at a house in one of the town's suburbs.

The seven who are all unemployed appeared in the dock, wearing khaki prison garb at the court in the resort town of Victoria Falls.

Their trial which had been scheduled to start on Thursday, was delayed to January the 9th, after prosecutors said they were not yet ready.