The fate of a Chinese rhino horn smuggler is being considered by the Jiangnan District Court.
A public hearing regarding the case of illegally transporting two rhino horns was reportedly held earlier this week in Jiangnan District Court of Nanning City, Guangxi Province.
The prosecuting attorney recommended that the suspect – a TCM practitioner who confessed to being a repeat offender – be sentenced to ten years in prison.
The court heard the following on August 24, 2010:
On December 30, 2009, the suspect purchased two rhino horns for CNY 430,000.00 (USD 63,245.00) from a Vietnamese national at the center square of Pingxiang City, which borders Vietnam.
After acquiring the horns, he took a taxi to Nanning City. However, he was arrested by the police when he passed the Wu Yu toll station on Nanyou highway.
The police found two rhino horns in a green paper bag, worth an estimated CNY 830,000.00 (USD 122,077.00).
Suspect admits to smuggling rhino horns ‘many times’ – then changes story
The prosecutor informed the court that the suspect was already on record claiming to have transported and traded rhino horns “many times”.
Upon being arrested, the suspect confessed to the police that he made trips into Vietnam to check out the rhino horns before making exchanges in Pingxiang. He would then smuggle the rhino horns to Guangzhou via Nanning.
However, the suspect changed his story in court and said it was the first time he had smuggled rhino horn. He claimed the purpose was not for profits, but for the treatment of his high blood pressure and hepatitis.
Defense lawyers presented medical records to support the suspect’s claim, and asked that a light sentence be given, since the rhino horns were allegedly for personal use and not for profit.
Prosecutor recommends 10 years in jail
The prosecutor pointed out that the suspect had been in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) business for over ten years, and had engaged in smuggling rhino horn on several occasions, for the purpose of selling it illegally from his place of business.
A ten year prison sentence was recommended by the prosecution, and the court is expected to issue a verdict “soon”.
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Source: Guangxi News Network; translation provided by TRAFFIC
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