Seventeen rhino horns and more than 26kg of lion and tiger bones have been seized in a major transnational wildlife-trafficking operation. The breakthrough came after a co-ordinated effort between the Border Management Authority (BMA), the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), working alongside several other agencies. According to the BMA, the intelligence-driven operation followed the interception of a suspicious shipment originally sent to Singapore.
The consignment was red-flagged, returned to South Africa and traced to a storage facility in Kempton Park. When investigators searched the facility on Monday, they found four boxes containing 17 rhino horns weighing 55.4kg, as well as 26.2kg of lion and tiger bones, skulls and claws, all believed to be destined for the illegal wildlife market in South-East Asia. Two Nigerian nationals, aged 34 and 35, were arrested after being identified as the receivers of the consignment.
They appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges under Section 57(1) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, which prohibits activities involving threatened or protected species. The value of the seized wildlife products has not yet been disclosed, as forensic and valuation processes are still underway. The bust forms part of an ongoing multi-agency investigation involving the DPCI Wildlife Trafficking Section, SARS Customs, the BMA, the Gauteng SAPS Tactical Response Team, the Gauteng SAPS Airwing, Tracker Connect and other partners. Authorities say further arrests have not been ruled out as they pursue additional leads, including international connections.
Read Full Article on The Witness
