Rhino Poaching: Arrests, Prosecutions & Sentencing

[Richprins]

Two men nabbed with 41kg of rhino horn
2014-11-01 14:18



Johannesburg - The police have arrested two Vietnamese men in possession of 41 kg of rhino horn, the largest haul nabbed in the country battling to stave off poaching of its dwindling stock of the wild animals.

The population of rhinos, indigenous to southern Africa, is being decimated by poachers who supply a demand for horns for decorative and supposed medicinal purposes especially in Asian countries.

A total of 933 rhinos were killed in South Africa in the year to October, from 1 004 in 2013, according to conservation group Stop Rhino Poaching.

South Africa has an estimated 20 000 of the animals, the biggest population in Africa.

The two Vietnamese were booked on a flight to Hanoi from the capital of neighbouring Mozambique and were arrested during an hour-long stopover in Johannesburg.

The horns are believed to have originated in South African parks, a police statement said

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ ... n-20141101


Same story...

Funny how few Chinese are arrested...

[okie]

Well done to Sanparks etc , for all the arrests during October

[Toko]

Media Statement from Limpopo Media Centre Corporate Communication South African Police Service

POLOKWANE – Limpopo police have on Saturday made a major breakthrough when they arrested six suspected rhino poachers in Phalaborwa as well as in Hoedspruit.

Police in Hoedspruit tracked the movements of three suspects earlier on Friday who were spotted inside the Kruger National Park. An all-night search ensued which led to the suspects being spotted in the early hours of Saturday getting into a “pick up” vehicle just outside Lulekani.

Police who by then had mobilised other units for assistance managed to intercept the getaway vehicle and arrested three suspects including the driver. One known suspect managed to escape and intense search for him is underway. The three were found in possession of an unlicensed 3.75 rifle with ten rounds of ammunition and an axe. The vehicle has also been seized. The three aged between 58 and 24 will appear at the local magistrate court soon on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm.

In another incident, police in Phalaborwa received information of two suspected rhino poachers who were allegedly picked up after been seen coming out from the Kruger National Park. Following up the information police managed to track the suspected vehicle and with the assistance of Mpumalanga police, the three suspects including the driver were arrested in Acornhoek.

Police managed to seize an unlicensed 303 hunting rifle with ten rounds of ammunition as well as an axe. The vehicle was also seized. The three suspects aged between 57 and 30 will appear at the Phalaborwa Magistrates’ Court soon on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm.

In both cases police did not find any rhino horns in their possession however investigations are underway to ascertain if any rhinos were poached in the Kruger National Park or whether they were on their way still to do so. Coupled with the ongoing investigations, both firearms will be taken for ballistic testing to determine if they were used in any poaching cases as well as the linkages of all suspects to check if they are involved in similar or different cases.

-End-

Media Enquiries:

Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi

Mobile: 082 373 2408

[Flutterby]

Man arrested for robbing Limpopo couple while out on bail for rhino poaching

Sapa | 17 November, 2014 13:30

The man and two others were arrested in Bulgerivier, near Vaalwater, on Sunday for robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said in a statement.

Five men had tied up a couple and robbed them of R2000, US2000, four diamond wedding rings, cellphones, laptops, firearms, documents, and a handbag, he said.

The arrests were made after an eight-hour manhunt involving two helicopters and the Community Policing Forum.

"One of the suspects was found in possession of a Z88 pistol belonging to a police officer, the other was found in possession of two revolvers, while the third suspect, who was out on bail for rhino poaching, was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and five live [rounds of] ammunition."

The three would appear soon in the Lephalale Magistrate's Court. The police were still searching for the other two, said Mulaudzi.

[Lisbeth]

Very scary

[Richprins]

Some Lowvelder news over the last 2 weeks, as promised!

[Lisbeth]

RP

[Richprins]

MOAMBA – The Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park’s (GLTP) anti-poaching unit in Mozambique arrested a poaching suspect at the Sabie Game Park on December 4. He is being detained at the Moamba Police Station and will appear in court on its premises. His court date has not yet been confirmed.

Mr Orlando Ngwenya was arrested after a search was conducted on land and in the air. The anti-poaching unit of the Sabie Game Park was deployed to assist the other unit in tracking down the suspect. Rangers who were patrolling the eastern fence of the GLTP, which borders the Kruger National Park’s eastern border and is part of the Lubambo Transfrontier Conservation Area, became suspicious when fresh tracks were seen next to the fence. With the aid of air support, Ngwenya was tracked down and apprehended.

He is still in custody at the Moamba Police Station, which is located 52 kilometres from Komatipoort.
The suspect was carrying a 375 magnum hunting rifle with a silencer, five rounds of ammunition, a cellphone and a backpack which were confiscated.

Ms Carina Timcke, spokesman for the Sabie Game Park informed Lowvelder that Ngwenya may have entered the park by climbing over the fence. Entry by boat across the Crocodile River was another possibility, as poachers often did this.



http://lowvelder.co.za/241459/suspected ... am-effort/



This is very important, as Moz. antipoaching is feeble, to say the least, and beset by corruption, so the next big step would be to see a decent sentence levelled there!

[Richprins]

3 suspected rhino poachers killed in Kruger
2014-12-14 11:05


Phalaborwa - Three suspected rhino poachers were killed, three were injured and six escaped in various incidents in the Kruger National Park last week.

The first incident happened on 8 December when rangers in the Phalaborwa area came across three suspects, shooting one dead, while two others escaped, said spokesperson for South African National Parks Reynold Thakhuli in a statement.

The rangers seized poaching equipment on the scene.

Two days later, rangers wounded and arrested three suspects in the Lower Sabie area. All three suspects are in hospital under police guard.

The next evening, another three suspected poachers were found near Pretoriuskop.

"During the engagement and follow up operation one of the suspects was fatally wounded. A hunting rifle, ammunition and poaching equipment were recovered at the scene. The remaining two suspects managed to make good their escape in the enveloping darkness," said Thakhuli.

Later that same night, rangers came across another three suspects, killing one, while two others fled.
A hunting rifle, ammunition and poaching equipment were also recovered on the scene.

Since January a total of 164 suspected rhino poachers having been arrested in the Kruger National Park

http://www.news24.com/Green/News/3-susp ... r-20141214

[Richprins]

Above is another clear indication that poachers are met with fire!