Rhino horn smuggler arrested on eve of COP 17
This year 414 poachers have been arrested in South Africa.
THE world was shocked on the eve of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) when authorities arrested a suspected rhino horn smuggler at O.R. Tambo International Airport.
The suspect was intercepted after attempting to take a transit flight to Hong Kong. Three rhino horns with a total mass of 9.4kg and an estimated value of R12.2-million were seized.
The horns were discovered after the suspect’s luggage was screened by border and customs officials. The 48-year-old suspect, a Chinese national, was expected to appear in court yesterday, said minister of envirnmental affiars, Dr Edna Molewa.
She congratulated the department’s Environmental Management Inspectorate (a.k.a Green Scorpions) on the arrest.
The Green Scorpions are stationed at a number of ports of entry and exit to increase capability to detect incidents of smuggling of wild specimens, as part of the Department’s Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros approach under implementation since 2014.
“With South Africa being the home to the world’s largest rhino population, naturally all eyes will be on us at CITES COP17 as we discuss the impact of the transitional illicit trade in wildlife on our rhino population,” said Molewa.
“South Africa is currently experiencing a decrease in the rate of rhino poaching, and at the same time an increase in the number of arrests for poaching related offences. Slowly but surely our Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros approach is yielding success,” she added.
In the past week there have been arrests of four Mozambican and two South African suspected rhino poachers in relation to two separate incidents in the Kruger National Park (KNP).
Between 1 January and the end of August 2016 a total of 414 alleged poachers have been arrested in South Africa – of which 177 were in the Kruger National Park and 237 for the rest of the country.
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