St Francis Chronicle, 19 August, Edited: The SAPS Hawks have arrested six men belonging to an international rhino horn crime syndicate linked to a fraudulent scheme involving 964 rhino horns, worth millions of Rands, destined for illegal markets in Southeast Asia.
The six suspects, aged 49-84 face charges of fraud, theft, and contravention of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) of 2004, plus extra charges of racketeering and money laundering under consideration.
This is according to a Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) press release today that said after a seven-year investigation, the Wildlife Trafficking Section of the Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit dismantled a major transnational rhino horn trafficking network.
DFFE Minister, Dr Dion George, hailed the arrests as a decisive victory in South Africa’s fight against international wildlife crime. “This complex investigation, which was also supported by the Enforcement unit of the Department (the Green Scorpions) and the National Prosecuting Authority, is a powerful demonstration of South Africa’s resolve to protect its natural heritage,” Minister George said.
He added that the Hawks’ have shown enforcement agencies will not hesitate to pursue those who plunder South African wildlife for criminal profit. “The illegal trade in rhino horn not only destroys biodiversity but also undermines the rule of law and the foundations of environmental governance, Minister George said
He added: “Let there be no doubt, South Africa will bring the full force of its laws against those who plunder our wildlife. This arrest proves that syndicates cannot escape justice, no matter how complex their schemes.”
The press release also said investigations reveal the suspects allegedly defrauded the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment by securing permits under false pretences to buy and sell rhino horns domestically, while funnelling them into illegal international markets.
Under South African law, domestic trade is permitted with valid DFFE-issued permits in terms of NEMBA. International commercial trade in rhino horn is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The six suspects, five men and one woman, surrendered to the Hawks at Sunnyside Police Station and appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on 19 August .
St Francis Chronicle 