The Minister of Environmental Affairs had congratulated all those involved in the arrest of a suspected rhino horn smuggler at OR Tambo International Airport on September 24.
The suspect was intercepted after attempting to take a transit flight to Hong Kong. Three rhino horns weighing 9.4kg with an estimated value of R12.2-million were seized.
The horns were discovered after the suspect’s luggage was screened by border and customs officials.
The 48-year-old suspect, a Chinese national, was nabbed on the eve of the opening of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Dr Edna Molewa congratulated the Green Scorpions stationed at the airport, working together with customs, the security company employed by the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), as well as the Hawks for the arrest.
“It was the joint work and effective coordination of all the entities involved that led to the successful detection, seizure and arrest,” Molewa said.
The Green Scorpions are stationed at a number of ports of entry and exit to increase capability to detect incidents of smuggling of wild specimens, as part of the Department’s Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros approach under implementation since 2014.
“South Africa is currently experiencing a decrease in the rate of rhino poaching, and at the same time an increase in the number of arrests for poaching related offences. Slowly but surely our Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros approach is yielding success: we are now getting much better at addressing wildlife crime in a more integrated and coordinated manner,” Molewa said.
Between January 1 and August 31, 414 alleged poachers have been arrested in South Africa, of which 177 were in the Kruger National Park and 237 in the rest of the country.
