Rhino Poaching: Arrests, Prosecutions & Sentencing

[Alf]

Great work

[Richprins]

[Flutterby]

[Lisbeth]

Zimbabwe court refuses to drop charges against 7 Chinese caught with rhino horns

01.03.2019



A magistrate in the northern resort town of Hwange dismissed an application by the seven unemployed Chinese nationals (pictured January 2019, leaving the Victoria Falls magistrate court) to have the charges thrown out

Seven Chinese nationals being held in a Zimbabwe jail for money laundering and unlawful possession of rhino horn on Thursday lost their legal bid to have their charges dropped.

They were arrested on December 23 with more than 20 kilograms (44 lbs) of rhino horn pieces worth nearly a million US dollars.

A magistrate in the northern resort town of Hwange dismissed an application by the seven unemployed Chinese nationals to have the charges thrown out.

Their lawyer had argued the prosecution had failed to prove there was a case to answer.

The seven were ordered to return to court on March 19.

Acting on a tip-off, police detectives found the rhino horn stashed in a mattress, plastic bags and in boxes at a house in the nearby town of Victoria Falls.

Rhino horns are highly coveted in some Asian countries such as China and Vietnam, where they have fetched up to $60,000 per kilogramme, for their supposed medicinal qualities.

The demand has fuelled a boom in poaching and trafficking in Africa.

[Alf]

Lock them up please

[Richprins]

Sell them back to China for $10000 per kilogram.

[Richprins]

Three suspects arrested for dealing in rhino horns to appear in court
2019-03-11 08:44

Canny Maphanga

Three suspects arrested by the Hawks for dealing in rhino horns are to appear in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Monday.

"The Hawks and their integrated partners remain committed in the fight against wildlife trafficking in South Africa and beyond.

"Bail will be opposed," spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said in a statement on Monday.


The suspects, aged between 32 and 35, were arrested on Saturday during a three-day operation between the Hawks, South African Police Services (SAPS) Special Task Force, SANParks and Tracker targeting the trafficking of rhino horns.

Five rhino horns, 14 pieces of abalone, three seahorses, two sea cucumbers, vehicles, and weighing and processing equipment worth a substantial amount were seized, said Mulaudzi.

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News ... t-20190311

[RogerFraser]

Thats just what were they not poaching/dealing in illegally one wonders

[Lisbeth]

Three less, at least for the time being

[PennyinSA]

Ndlovu rhino poaching gang all found guilty on 55 charges today!!!!