“Police received a tip off of a vehicle travelling from Acornhoek to Hoedspruit, transporting a Pangolin. The car was spotted, pulled off the road and searched. One live Pangolin was recovered and the five suspects (aged between 26 and 52-years-old) were arrested,” Lieutenant Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe, Limpopo Province police spokesperson said.
The suspects are from Malamulele near Giyani, Lulekani near Phalaborwa and Tzaneen and were identified as Mahlatsi Machimane (26), Robert Baloyi (52), Lucky Hlungwane aged 26, Elvis Mhlongo (36) and Martin Baloyi (26).
“A pangolin is used by Africans, particularly blacks to make traditional medicine for luck in casinos or any other forms of gambling. Its blood is very powerful so they say, apparently once you have been to a powerful traditional healer who has the blood of this animal you are unstoppable, you hit jackpots in the casino and it comes at a very high price,” Alvin Msimango educated the Herald.
