ERMELO – Junior Chauke (49) and Prince Ntsako Letswele (33) were remanded in custody by the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court for possession of rhino horns on December 9.
Acsu Security Services and the local police detained the two suspects on December 8.
Based on the information they had, Acsu and the SAPS took action, stopping a number of trucks close to Acasia to block the road.
“As soon as the suspects saw the blockade, they stopped their vehicle next to the road, jumped out and fled in different directions,” Oubaas de Jager said.
The Secunda based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation were summoned and the crime scene was handed over to them for processing.
Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, spokesperson for the Hawks, said the white Toyota Hilux was searched, and two big and two small rhino horns weighing 14,6 kilograms were found inside the plastic bag hidden in the engine compartment.
“The value of the rhino horns are about R876 000,” Sekgotodi said.
The rhino horns and the vehicle were confiscated for further investigation.
The case against the duo was postponed to, today December 14, for profiling and legal representative.
