Rhino horn found in luggage at airport

Customs officers at Sars, in collaboration with other government departments, intercepted the luggage of a woman at OR Tambo International Airport that contained 12 pieces of rhino horn weighing 30.7kg.

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Sars stated on April 29 the interception of the rhino horn came after Sars Customs and other government officials received a tip-off regarding a passenger travelling to Dubai.

The customs team accompanied the woman to the customs area where the two luggage bags and a box were inspected by a baggage scanner that identified irregular images suspected to be rhino horn.

This led to a physical inspection of the luggage and box in which the 12 pieces of rhino horn were found.

The woman and rhino horn were handed to the SAPS after which a criminal case was opened for further investigation.

A total of 125 pieces of rhino horn, weighing 452kg, were seized at the airport between July 2020 and December 2021.

This included rhino horn weighing 4kg and bound for China found in December and five pieces of rhino horn, weighing 10kg bound for Malaysia in the same month.

In July, 32 pieces of rhino horn, weighing 160kg was found in February 2021, 18 pieces of rhino horn, weighing 63kg were discovered. Both were bound for Malaysia.

Incidents of rhino horn, again bound for Malaysia and reported in 2020, were 17 pieces of rhino horn weighing 72.4kg concealed in a geyser found in December of that year, six pieces, weighing 4.9kg declared as “coffee beans” found in September and 41 pieces, weighing 137kg declared as “fine arts” found in July 2020.

Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter thanked customs officers and the SAPS for the efforts in curbing the smuggling of rhino horn.

“We will leave no stone unturned to detect and prosecute these criminal syndicates and individuals who break the law. Sars and the law enforcement agencies will spare no efforts to ensure they are brought to book,” he said.

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