Five men have been arrested by the police’s Rhino 08 Poaching Task Team in the past week.
A police officer was among them, the police said in a statement
Several incriminating items were apparently also recovered.
“Last Saturday, the team was alerted about suspected poachers trying to exit the east gate of a game farm in Limpopo,” said the statement.
“When they arrived at the gate, they found Captain Chris Du Plessis apparently trying to escort three men, Martinus Jacobus Boschoff (32), Magiel Frederick Klopper (61) a Joseph Mkhokha (42) who had allegedly poached a giraffe.”
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The police said the team questioned Du Plessis and upon searching his vehicle they apparently found an unlicensed revolver, a x 270 rifle barrel, a wooden rifle butt, about 70 rifle rounds and a 303 cartridge.
Three men were allegedly found in possession of a 303 hunting rifle, a silencer, a telescope and more than ten 303 rounds,” said the police.
The licence to the 303 hunting rifle was seized, as was an Isuzu bakkie the men were traveling in.
Three men appeared in the Hoedspruit Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
“They are expected to reappear in court on 28 August 2017 after they were all released on bail of R800 each.”
The police said Du Plessis also appeared in court on Monday, but remained in custody pending the outcome of a bail application on 28 August.
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The team arrested a fifth man on Thursday, a 68-year-old farm manager Samuel Liversage.”
The farm was searched, allegedly leading to the recovery of 10 rhino horns, two elephant tusks, 11 rifles of which four are unlicensed, over 1300 rounds of live ammunition and over 150 empty cartridges.
Police said the rifles were confiscated to be taken for ballistic testing.
“This suspect appeared in the Lenyenye Magistrate’s Court in Tzaneen on Friday and was remanded in custody until 24 August for a bail hearing.”
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