SANParks commends arrests of alleged poachers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo
The arrests were made through joint operations with SANPark's environmental crime unit and the Hawks.
With 12 arrests of alleged poachers between October and November this year, SANParks has commended those involved in the investigations and subsequent arrests.
SANParks released a statement on Friday December 10, stating that its environmental crime investigation (ECI) unit in collaboration with the Hawks directorate of priority crime investigations conducted a series of intelligence-driven operations which led to the arrests.
The first eight were made in villages adjacent to the Kruger National Park. The statement said they were arrested for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition after being found in possession of four high calibre rifles and live rounds; they have since appeared in court on various charges.
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They were arrested in and around Hazyview. A further four were arrested in Limpopo just outside Punda Maria Gate, after information was received from community members by SANParks ECI and SAPS.
The arrested suspects were found in possession of poison, dried and cooked buffalo meat, knives, shoes, snare cables, elephant droppings, elephant skins, elephant dried lips, and a baboon’s dried arm and wild animals’ bones.
The managing executive of Kruger, Gareth Coleman congratulated all the teams involved in the operation and commended community members who gave information which led to the successful operations.
