An Eastern Cape sting operation netted two rhino horn dealers.
A three-month undercover investigation culminated in the arrest of two Port Elizabeth men who were caught with a rhino horn in their vehicle.
According to The Weekend Post, Stephan Johnson, 32, of Central and Aneclayton Rademeyer, 31, of Bethelsdorp, were arrested last Friday after buying a confiscated horn from undercover police in broad daylight on Mosel Street, Uitenhage. The two men had indicated they wanted to purchase a rhino horn and would go as far as killing a rhino if necessary.
The operation was a cooperative effort between a team of police and nature conservation officials.
Eastern Cape Green Scorpions deputy director Jaap Pienaar said it was a perfect example of a combined effort by police and nature conservation officers working towards eradicating poaching in the province.
Police confiscated the pair’s money and car, and retrieved the rhino horn. The two men were reportedly granted R5000 bail each.
Neither a future court date nor the possibility of a jail sentence were mentioned in the report.
Although rhino horn has been thoroughly analyzed and found to have no medicinal value, it is still in high demand for traditional Chinese medicine markets in China and Vietnam, where cultural myths attribute “healing powers” to rhino horn.
Source: The Weekend Post
Image: istock.com
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