World Rhino Day: More arrests expected
With environmental activists and enthusiasts across the globe mark World Rhino Day today, the Hawks say they expect to make more arrests under their anti-poaching campaigns.
Two suspects, aged 41 and 55, were nabbed for the illegal possession of 20 rhino horn valued at around R7.6-million on Thursday evening. The Hawks, Benoni K9 Unit and conservation officials raided a house in Standerton in Mpumalanga following an undercover operation.
The Hawks Hangwani Mulaudzi said: "The arrests bring the tally of people apprehended to about 9 in relation to horn smuggling".
"This shows that we are making inroads and we are quite sure that we will still see more arrests as more information comes in", he added.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environmental Affairs says 507 rhino had been poached in South Africa by the end August.
Some 83 animals had been slaughtered for their horns here in KZN during the same period.