One of three Chinese nationals that were arrested by the Middelburg-based Hawks in August 2019, has been found guilty of illegally dealing in rhino horns and contravening the Immigration Act, while a female accomplice was already sentenced in 2022 and the third suspect died in prison during the trial.

Shiuhau Chen was found guilty on three counts of illegally dealing in rhino horns and contravening the Immigration Act in the Kempton Park Regional Court on Friday.

According to the Mpumalanga spokesperson for the Hawks, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, Chen, along with Eugene Huang and his life partner, Ping Wu, was arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Team during a project-driven probe addressing a rhino horn syndicate operating between Mpumalanga and Gauteng.

“The convict and his accomplices paid for rhino horns during controlled purchases between 2018 and 2019. Wu and Huang were charged with money laundering for their involvement.

“Wu assisted in depositing the proceeds of the rhino horn transactions into a casino account. She was sentenced by the Tembisa Regional Court in March 2022.

“A forfeiture order for the money paid to the agent, as well as the money in the casino account and two vehicles owned by the accused Chen and the deceased Huang, was issued in March 2022.

“The case against Chen was remanded to February 10 for sentencing.”