Authorities have arrested two rhino horn smuggling suspects.
A routine roadblock near Beaufort West in the Western Cape has reportedly netted 15 rhino horns and two suspects. The alleged smugglers were believed to be headed for Cape Town.
Police Captain Malcolm Pojie said via News 24 that the rhino horns were hidden in the suspects’ luggage.
During the subsequent search members found fifteen rhino horns between the luggage of the two suspects. The horns were sealed in wrapped plastic and concealed in the luggage.
He added that the 38kg of rhino horn was valued at around R2.6 million (approximately USD $371,360).
Although rhino horn has been rigorously tested and found to be of no medicinal value, the street value of rhino horn varies. Our research indicates that rhino horn is valued at USD $25,000 – $40,000 per kg, making this haul potentially worth between USD $950,000 – $1,520,000 or just over R6.6 million.
The suspects, identified by Eyewitness News as Vietnamese nationals, are expected to remain in Beaufort West police holding cells until their court appearance on Wednesday.
Illegal rhino horn trade driven by continued use of traditional ‘medicines’
In this year alone, the surge in rhino horn demand for use in traditional medicines has claimed the lives of at least 280 rhinos in South Africa, more than doubling the reported 2009 figure of 122. Zimbabwe is now down to its last 700 rhinos.
Illegal rhino horn is highly sought after for use in traditional medicines in China and Vietnam, despite the fact rhino horn has been extensively analyzed and contains no medicinal properties.
Research conducted by the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC found that most rhino horns leaving South Africa are being smuggled to China and Vietnam.
It has been noted that the spreading Chinese footprint has placed the demand for rhino horn perilously close to the supply, and counter poaching reports have also linked the increase in rhino and elephant killings to a flood of Chinese weapons in Southern Africa.
There are concerns that a state-funded 2008 rhino horn research proposal from China served as one of the catalysts for the surge in rhino killings across Southern Africa by encouraging the use of rhino horn, and that the researchers are attempting to circumvent CITES research provisions by farming rhinos.
Courts fail to deter rhino horn syndicates
Although police continue to make arrests – four rhino killers were recently arrested – rhino horn syndicate cases lose steam once they hit the courts. There seems to be plenty of talk about cracking down on syndicates and taking out the kingpins, but so far, the courts have jailed only the lower level operatives.
In September, eleven alleged members of a rhino horn syndicate were granted bail by the Musina magistrate’s court and are scheduled to appear in court again on April 11th, 2011. The suspects included safari operator Dawie Groenewald, veterinarians Karel Toet and Manie du Plessis, and professional hunter Tielman Erasmus.
They will face charges of to face charges of assault, fraud, corruption, malicious damage to property, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and contravening the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act.
The following month, a rhino horn syndicate case involving suspects George Fletcher of Sandurst Safaris, Gert Saaiman of Saaiman Hunting Safaris, and Frans Deventer was thrown out by the North Gauteng High Court.
Multiple charges had been brought against Fletcher, Saaiman and van Deventer, including racketeering, money laundering, various counts of theft, malicious damage to property and contraventions of the various provincial Conservation Acts and the Aviation Act.
However, a few weeks ago, four Zimbabweans and a Mozambican were sentenced to prison for attempting to kill rhinos in Lephalale Game Reserve, Limpopo.
Sources: News 24; Eyewitness News
Image: istock.com
![Rhino Horns and Trophies Exported to Asia from South Africa 2000 – 2010 [Infographic]](http://www.rhinoconservation.org/wp-content/plugins/special-recent-posts/lib/phpimage.php?width=100&height=100&rotation=no&file=L2hvbWUyL2Jpb2RpdmUxL3B1YmxpY19odG1sL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDEyLzA1L1JoaW5vVHJvcGhpZXNIb3Juc0luZm9ncmFwaGljVGh1bWJuYWlsLmpwZw==)
It is so damn depressing witnessing the demise of our, yes, all of our incredible wildlife for pure greed! the poacher’s radical destruction methods, especially of Rhino, require radical responses, like poisoning the horns?
This is very good news in terms of breaking the rhino syndicates. Every time there’s a crackdown the suspects are Vietnamese not Chinese. Perhaps CITES and TRAFFIC can investigate Cape Town harbour’s shenanigans.
Very good news , but I don’t think the full extent of the crises is realized by the general public in south africa , I know from my dealings with pilanesberg game reserve that if 5 Rhino carcasses are found then the press are all over it but if just 1 or 2 are found then it gets ignored , but the 1 or 2 found at a time add up to many.