Six arrested for allegedly trafficking over 900 rhino horns with fraudulent permits
They are accused of fraudulently obtaining domestic trade permits and funnelling rhino horns into illegal international markets.
Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Dion George said the arrests were critical in protecting biodiversity.
Six people were set to appear at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, accused of the transnational trafficking of 964 rhino horns, following a successful investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), which began in 2017.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Singo, the six accused – five men between 49 and 84, and a woman aged 60 – handed themselves over to the Hawks investigating team at Sunnyside police station on Tuesday morning.
In a statement, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) said the seven-year investigation had included the Wildlife Trafficking Section of the Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, the department's enforcement unit (the Green Scorpions), and the National Prosecuting Authority.
And the suspects face charges of fraud, theft, and contravention of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), with additional charges of racketeering and money laundering under consideration.
According to the DFFE, investigations revealed that the accused had allegedly defrauded the department by securing permits under false pretences 'to buy and sell rhino horns domestically, while funnelling them' into 'illegal markets in Southeast Asia'.
It said that under South African law, domestic trade was permitted with valid DFFE-issued permits in terms of the NEMBA.
The department added:
International commercial trade in rhino horn is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Minister Dion George said the arrests were 'a decisive victory in South Africa's fight against international wildlife crime'.
'Let there be no doubt: South Africa will bring the full force of its laws against those who plunder our wildlife. This arrest proves that syndicates cannot escape justice, no matter how complex their schemes.'
He added that the work to apprehend the six showed that the enforcement agencies would '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,' George said.
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