ANOTHER MAJOR BUST OF RHINO HORNS

SITEKI – The smuggling and illegal trade of rhino horns appears to be on the rise in the SADC region and this will surely concern conservationists and game park owners.

Last Sunday, South African police nabbed two Chinese nationals at OR Tambo International airport who were allegedly about to smuggle out of that country 10 rhino horns, estimated to be worth E5 million. The suspects were identified by South African police as Bo Yong (57) and Yue Sun (35).
They appeared at the Kempton Park Magistrates Court on Tuesday and were remanded in custody pending a bail application hearing on June 20, South African media reported.

According to News24, the flight of the suspects was bound for Istanbul (Turkey) but, the publication said, it believed that the final destination of the suspects may have been Hong Kong. “After re-examining two checked-in items of luggage that had been pre-loaded into the cargo hold of the airliner, South African Revenue Service (SARS) customs agents found four rhino horns in the one bag, and six more horns in the other,” reads a report by News24.
The incident occurred on the same day local police and game rangers shot dead three men at Hlane Royal National Park, who were suspected to have been hunting rhinos.

The trio were allegedly armed and were fatally wounded during the shoot-out with the rangers and police from the Lubombo serious crimes unit (Lukhozi).
One of the killed men is believed to be a South African national, the other a Swazi and the third one a Zimbabwean. Their identities were not revealed by authorities following that investigations into the matter are still ongoing.
Also, on February 25 this year, two Taiwanese nationals were arrested at King Mswati III International airport while about to leave the country with 24 rhino horns, estimated to be worth E24 million.

It was gathered that one luggage of the suspects had already been flown to OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa when security and immigration officials at KMIII airport discovered the rhino horns in the remaining luggage.
The suspects; Shiao Chen Hao (54) and Chen Beihsun (30) were reportedly destined for Hong Kong via South Africa.

They were charged with contravening the Game Act and they appeared at the Siteki Magistrates Court where they were denied bail. They were remanded in custody until they were convicted by the High Court and are currently awaiting sentencing.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Superintendent Khulani Mamba said the police have strengthened their cooperation with Game Park owners following the recent cases of rhino smuggling.

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