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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
South African rhino breeder detained amid smuggling scandal
Representative image South African prosecutors have accused a high-profile animal breeder of running an illegal rhino horn smuggling network across the globe. John Hume, 83, once owned one of the world's largest rhino herds at his ranch near Johannesburg. He and five others are accused of running a scheme to export more than 900 rhino horns valued at $14.1 million (€12.2 million). All five arrested on Tuesday following a "complex investigation into transnational trafficking of rhino horns" that began in 2017, the police's specialised Hawks unit said. South Africa's environment minister Dion George said the investigation was "a powerful demonstration of South Africa's resolve to protect its natural heritage." Rhino horns smuggled with false permits Zimbabwean-born Hume owned the 7,800-hectare (19,270-acre) Platinum Rhino ranch in South Africa's North West province until 2023, when it was bought by wildlife NGO African Parks in a bid to rewild the animals. The ranch is home to around 2,000 animals, around 15% of the world's remaining wild population of southern white rhinos. Investigators said they uncovered fraud involving government officials who issued permits for 964 rhino horns to be sold domestically, but which were actually shipped to illegal markets in Southeast Asia. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo South African law allows the domestic trade of rhino horns. But overseas sales are banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Rhinos were once abundant across Africa but have dramatically fallen in number following due to large-scale hunting and poaching. Alongside ivory, rhino horns are highly sought-after in Asia as status symbols and for their supposed aphrodisiac properties.
DW
16 hours ago
- DW
South African rhino breeder detained amid smuggling scandal – DW – 08/20/2025
A well-known rhino breeder from South Africa has been accused of helping smuggle nearly a thousand of rhino horns to Southeast Asia in a multimillion scheme. South African prosecutors have accused a high-profile animal breeder of running an illegal rhino horn smuggling network across the globe. John Hume, 83, once owned one of the world's largest rhino herds at his ranch near Johannesburg. He and five others are accused of running a scheme to export more than 900 rhino horns valued at $14.1 million (€12.2 million). All five arrested on Tuesday following a "complex investigation into transnational trafficking of rhino horns" that began in 2017, the police's specialized Hawks unit said. South Africa's Environment Minister Dion George said the investigation was "a powerful demonstration of South Africa's resolve to protect its natural heritage." Zimbabwean-born Hume owned the 7,800-hectare (19,270-acre) Platinum Rhino ranch in South Africa's North West province until 2023, when it was bought by wildlife NGO African Parks in a bid to rewild the animals. The ranch is home to around 2,000 animals — around 15% of the world's remaining wild population of southern white rhinos. Investigators said they uncovered fraud involving government officials who issued permits for 964 rhino horns to be sold domestically, but which were actually shipped to illegal markets in Southeast Asia. South African law allows the domestic trade of rhino horns. But overseas sales are banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Rhinos were once abundant across Africa but have dramatically fallen in number following due to large-scale hunting and poaching. Alongside ivory, rhino horns are highly sought-after in Asia as status symbols and for their supposed aphrodisiac properties.
Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Mail & Guardian
Controversial rhino breeder John Hume in dock on charges of rhino horn trafficking
John Hume (left) and his co-accused in court. (@CrimeWatch_RSA/X) The former breeder and owner of the world's largest captive rhino operation, The Hume is the former founder and owner of the Platinum Rhino Conservation Enterprise. The arrests — the result of a complex seven-year investigation — come eight years after he successfully challenged the government's 2009 moratorium on the domestic trade of rhino horn in 2017. After investigations by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation's (the Hawks') wildlife trafficking section of the Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, the six handed themselves over at the Pretoria Central police station on Tuesday, where they were formally arrested. They appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate's Court where all six were granted bail, said Lumka Mahanjana, the NPA's regional spokesperson. Authorities have alleged that the syndicate used a web of fraudulent permit schemes, exploiting South Africa's domestic trading regulations under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, to mask horn exports destined for Southeast Asia. This is despite international bans under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora. Under South African law, domestic trade in rhino horn is legal with valid permits. Hume was granted R100 000 bail, Melville and Van Niekerk were each granted R10 000 bail while Du Toit, Poggenpoel and Hennop received R20 000 bail, Mahanjana said. Collectively, they face 55 charges of multiple counts of racketeering, fraud, contravention of the national biodiversity Act, contravention of contravention of the Riotous Assemblies Act, theft and money laundering. In 2009, the government introduced a moratorium on the domestic trade in rhino horn. In subsequent years, Hume and Johan Kruger, another private rhino owner, challenged the moratorium through the courts. In April 2017, the Constitutional Court 'It is alleged that between 2017 and 2024, the accused operated an international rhino horn trafficking syndicate and defrauded the department of forestry, fisheries, and the environment,' said Mahanjana. 'They allegedly obtained permits to trade rhino horn locally, while intending to channel the horns into illegal international markets in Southeast Asia. The fraudulent scheme is estimated to involve 964 rhino horns valued at R250 million.' The investigation began in 2017 and uncovered a sophisticated scheme in which the suspects allegedly defrauded the department to secure permits under false pretences, said Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Singo. Through their affidavits, Melville disclosed to the court that he has a 2019 fraud conviction and being in possession and transporting rhino horns where he was sentenced to pay a fine. In May 2019, Melville and Petrus Stephanus Steyn were arrested in one of the largest rhino horn seizures in the country when they were caught transporting 167 rhino horns illegally. They stated they were transporting the horns on behalf of Hume to another location in Gauteng, but lacked the necessary permits for their travel through North West province. The pair entered into a plea agreement and were sentenced in June 2020. On Tuesday, Poggenpoel disclosed to the court that he has a 2009 conviction of possession of a rhino horn and paid an admission of guilt fee of R2 500, Mahanjana said. He also disclosed that he has a pending case on 17 September in the Winburg Magistrate's Court because, during the visit to his residence, the investigation team found ammunition that was not locked away in a safe and alleged scheduled medicine without a permit. The state advocate, Patsy Jacobs, read into the record an affidavit by the investigating officer, Edward Du Plessis, confirming that the state did not oppose bail because the accused were not flight risks, their addresses had been verified and they had cooperated with investigators. But the state requested bail conditions, which the court granted. These include that all accused must surrender their passports and may not apply for new travel documents while the matter is pending. They must report to their nearest police station once a week. They may not interfere with investigations, tamper with evidence or influence witnesses and must not commit any offences while on bail. Nina Fascione, the executive director of the 'This is not just a single incident but a process of criminality that has been insidiously going on for years and stimulating illegal supply channels from Africa. It is the equivalent of white collar crime rather than the armed robbery of poaching and must be treated as such.' Fascione added that removal of rhino horn from the stockpile of this magnitude 'raises serious concerns' about South Africa's systems to monitor stockpiles, issue permits and detect trafficked contraband at their ports of exit. 'This incident underscores the urgent need for far more robust and effective systems not only to secure stockpiles, but also to shut down the channels through which poached horn continues to leave South Africa,' Fascione said. Cathy Dean, the grants lead at 'Every horn trafficked represents not only a threat to rhinos and the ecosystems they call home, but also fuels wider organised crime, exploiting people and communities throughout the chain of criminal activity,' she said. 'We commend the commitment shown by South Africa's enforcement agencies and their partners to this case.' Disrupting transnational organised crime is essential to stopping poaching, allowing populations to recover and ensuring rhinos have a future in the wild, Shaw said. In September 2023, African Parks took ownership of Hume's ranch and the estimated 2 000 rhinos, planning to rewild the rhinos over the following decade. Save the Rhino said African Parks did not buy Hume's rhino horn stockpile. 'It is not known whether John Hume retained ownership of this, or whether he sold them separately to another buyer/other buyers.' Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister 'This complex investigation, which was also supported by the Green Scorpions and the NPA, is a powerful demonstration of South Africa's resolve to protect its natural heritage,' the minister said. The Hawks' breakthrough was evidence of real progress in dismantling international networks responsible for driving rhino poaching. 'We will not rest until we have broken the back of the syndicates operating in our country,' he said. The matter was postponed to 9 December for further investigations.
The Herald
a day ago
- The Herald
Six rhino horn syndicate suspects granted bail
Five men and a woman accused of being involved in the trafficking of 964 rhino horns valued at R250m were granted bail by the Pretoria magistrate's court on Tuesday. John Frederick Hume, 83, founder and owner of the Platinum Rhino Conservation Enterprise, was granted R100,000 bail. The director of a nonprofit organisation, Elizabeth Catharina Van Niekerk, 58, and transport maintenance manager Clive John Mervan Melville, 63, were granted R10,000 bail each while attorney Izak Hermanus du Toit, 50, insurance broker Mattheus Hendrikus Wessels Poggenpoel, 37, and game reserve manager Johannes Abraham Hennop, 52, were each granted R20,000 bail. 'They are collectively facing a total of 55 charges of multiple counts of racketeering, fraud, contravention of the National Environmental Management Act, contravention of the Riotous Assemblies Act, theft and money laundering,' the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks said in a joint statement. It is alleged that between 2017 and 2024, the accused operated an international rhino horn trafficking syndicate and defrauded the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment (DFFE). 'They allegedly obtained permits to trade rhino horn locally, while intending to channel the horns into illegal international markets in Southeast Asia.' The fraudulent scheme was estimated to involve 964 rhino horns valued at R250m. After intensive investigations by the Hawks, the six handed themselves over at the Pretoria Central police station on Tuesday, where they were formally arrested. 'During bail proceedings, they all asked to be released on bail because they were not flight risks and had co-operated with the police.' In his affidavit, Melville disclosed that he had a 2019 conviction for fraud and for being in possession of and transporting rhino horns. He was sentenced to pay a fine. Poggenpoel disclosed that he had a 2009 conviction for possession of a rhino horn and had paid an admission of guilt fine of R2,500. 'Poggenpoel also disclosed that he will be appearing on September 17 at Winburg magistrate's court because during the visit to his residence, the investigation team found ammunition that was not locked away in a safe and supposedly scheduled medicine without a permit.' The state did not oppose bail. The court granted bail and ordered the accused to surrender their passports and not apply for new travel documents while the case was pending. The court ordered the accused to report to their nearest police station once a week, and instructed that they may not interfere with investigations, tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. The matter was postponed to December 9 for further investigations. TimesLIVE
