Three suspected rhino poachers were arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning following a brazen armed robbery and poaching attempt at a game reserve in the Natal Spa area.
The men, aged between 34 and 50, entered the reserve on Friday night, wearing face masks, and tied up two security guards. They stole a shotgun, an R5 assault rifle and cellphones. They then shot and killed a rhino, hacking off its horn, but they were spooked by an alarm that went off, forcing them to flee and abandon the shotgun beside the carcass.
Police were immediately alerted and launched a massive search operation. With help from private security and local residents, the suspects were tracked down hiding in a bushy area near Paulpietersburg later that day.
The poachers had an R5 rifle, a .303 rifle and the stolen rhino horn in their possession. Police also seized the suspects’ vehicle.
The trio now faces multiple charges, including armed robbery, rhino poaching and possession of illegal firearms.
The authorities praised the swift co-operation between police, private security and community members that led to the arrests.

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The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.