Suspected rhino syndicate member caught in city

One of the 10 suspects apprehended for allegedly being part of a rhino syndicate, was apprehended in Polokwane last Friday.

According to Capt Paul Ramaloko, spokesperson for the Hawks, Anton Ras was apprehended in the city and appeared before the Hatfield magistrate’s court in Pretoria on Monday with his co-accused.

Ramaloko said he was the brother of Hugo Ras, who was allegedly the brain behind the suspected syndicate, which was believed to be operating in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West.

“The syndicate is linked to a case involving rhino horn to the value of R22 million,” Ramaloko said in a press statement.

Ramaloko said Hugo Ras was arrested in the Pretoria North magistrate’s court on Friday while he appeared on a separate rhino poaching case.

“In total, the alleged syndicate illegally obtained 84 rhino horns and killed 22 rhinos,” he said.

The arrest follows a year-long investigation led by the Hawks, resulting in the arrest of these suspects.

The state alleges that the syndicate is responsible for the slaughtering and mutilation of rhinos from June 2008 to June 2012.

The 10 accused, which include a pilot, an attorney and an officer from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), are charged with various common law offences which include theft, fraud, malicious injury to property, attempting to defeat the ends of justice as well as statutory offences including racketeering, money laundering, conspiracy, incitement to commit a crime, intimidation, killing and dehorning of rhino. They are also charged with illegal possession, transporting and selling of rhino horns and illegal possession of firearms and possession of scheduled substances.

The case has been postponed to September 29 in the same court in order for the police investigators to verify information obtained during the arrest. All the accused will remain in custody.

The NPA will oppose the bail application by the accused according to the NPA spokesperson Nathi Mncube.