Six suspects appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court today in connection with a scheme involving the trade of 964 rhino horns destined for illegal markets in Southeast Asia.

Investigations revealed the suspects allegedly defrauded the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) 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 a valid DFFE-issued permit in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Nemba) 10 of 2004.

International commercial trade in rhino horn is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

“After a seven-year investigation, the Wildlife Trafficking Section of the Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit has dismantled a major transnational rhino horn trafficking network.

“The six suspects, between the ages of 49 and 84, face charges of fraud, theft, and contravention of the Nemba, with additional charges of racketeering and money laundering under consideration,” the department said.

The six suspects, five men and one woman, surrendered to the Hawks at Sunnyside Police Station.

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has 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.

“The Hawks’ work shows that our enforcement agencies will not hesitate to pursue those who plunder our 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,” the minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

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