LIMPOPO – The special intelligence led joint operation, composed of various police units including the K9 Unit ,the Rhino 8 Unit ,Anti-poaching Unit ,the Endangered Species Unit and the Private Security was conducted at a game reserve near Hoedspruit.
According to a statement issued by Police Spokesperson, Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe, the police had earlier received a tip-off that there is a group of rhino poachers who were en route to the said reserve and set a trap for them.
Upon the arrival of the suspects the police ordered them to stop, however, they did not cooperate and subsequently started shooting at the law enforcement teams who in turn retaliated, said Ngoepe.
“During this process, one suspect was fatally shot, another seriously wounded and the third escaped and disappeared in the bushes. He is still being followed.”
No officer or private security member was injured during the shoot-out, he added.
The following items were recovered during this incident:
* One 458 hunting rifle with a silencer.
* Ten rounds of rifle ammunition and
* Two knives.
The 35-year-old suspect from Shabalala Trust near Hazyview in the Mpumalanga Province, will appear before the Hoedspruit Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
