Rhino Poaching: Arrests, Prosecutions & Sentencing

[mouseinthehouse]

Apparently he is now taking his appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal. Hopefully they will view that with the contempt it deserves.

[iNdlovu]

They should add the 5 years back for wasting tax payers money

[PennyinSA]

More lengthy sentences! http://thenewage.co.za/105971-1007-53-T ... years_each

[Flutterby]

Rhino poacher’s sentence too harsh

August 30 2013 at 03:20pm
By SHAUN SMILLIE

Lemtongthai, a Thai national who was sentenced to 40 years in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court last year, on Thursday appealed against his jail term in the Johannesburg High Court.

But both sides on Thursday agreed in their arguments that the number of years given to Lemtongthai should be reduced.

“The respondent respectfully submits that the learned magistrate could only have imposed five years’ imprisonment on counts 1-26, in accordance with section 80 (1) of the Customs and Excise Act, Act 91 of 1964 and 10 years’ imprisonment on counts 27 to 36, and count 37 to 46 respectively in accordance with section 102 (1) of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, Act 10 of 2004,” the State’s heads of argument read.

Still, the State is looking for Lemtongthai to serve 31 years, for the 52 charges he faced.

However, Lemtongthai’s lawyers argued for a far more lenient sentence.

“A sentence of not more than 10 years would be appropriate,” Lemtongthai’s legal representative, advocate JP Marais, told the court.

Marais went on to say that such a sentence would allow his client “still time to do some good in society”, and because he had been convicted, he would not be allowed back into the country. Such a long sentence, even if it were 31 years, would incur a huge bill for the taxpayer, Marais also argued.

“A prisoner costs the State R9 500 a month, for 31 years that would be R3.5 million that the taxpayer has to fork out.”

On November 9 last year, Lemtongthai was handed the harshest sentence given for a wildlife crime in South Africa. It was sentence usually associated with capital crimes like murder or rape.

In his judgment on the day, magistrate Prince Manyathi said he passed such a harsh sentence as to send a “shout to the community and the Asian block that these actions will not be tolerated”.

“I don’t want a situation where my grandchildren will only see a rhino in a newspaper. We have to protect our flora and fauna,” he said.

In a plea-agreement statement, Lemtongthai had outlined in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court how he’d perpetrated his horn-smuggling operation. He’d forged hunting permits, and had made up false hunting histories for the each applicant.

He’d used bogus hunters, who included alleged Thai prostitutes, who were paid R5 000 to pose next to dead rhinos that professional hunters had shot.

In total, 26 sets of rhino horn were seized during the operation.

Lemtongthai wasn’t in court yesterday. He is serving his time in Modderbee Correctional Services in Benoni. Animal rights activists gathered at the court on Thursday.

Earlier, the prosecutor, advocate Marile van Heerden, argued against the court simply imposing a million-rand fine. “A million rand is not a deterrent to him, he is a wealthy man in Thailand, he has a house worth R3.5 million,” she said.

Judgment was expected on Friday.

shaun.smillie@inl.co.za

[Toko]

[Richprins]

Magistrate Prince Manyathi for President! He understands!

[Mel]

I couldn't find it - have we had this already?

Rhino poachers get 16 years
Sat, 31 Aug 2013 7:54 AM

A South African court on Friday sentenced three Mozambicans to 16 years in prison for killing a female white rhinoceros and its calf last year in the Kruger National Park, the Sapa news agency reported.

They were found guilty by a court in the north eastern town of Nelspruit of entering the park without authorisation, killing and dehorning the two rhinos and illegally carrying a firearm.

They were arrested in May 2012 during a joint operation involving the South African national parks' special investigation unit, rangers, police and the army.

South Africa is home to about three-quarters of the world's rhino population. Poaching gangs target the horns which fetch thousands of dollars on the Asian black market, where they are falsely believed to have medicinal properties.

Worldwide horn trade has been banned for 36 years but at least 587 rhinos have been killed in South Africa this year alone, according to an environment ministry tally.

The worst affected area of the country is the vast Kruger national park which borders Mozambique, which is used as a rear base by poachers who are increasingly well equipped, armed and organised.

The South African authorities have recently announced plans to re-erect the electric fence that once prevented infiltrations by anti-apartheid militants.

[Sprocky]

2013-09-05 18:51

Mbombela - Twenty-four suspected rhino poachers have been arrested in the Kruger National Park in the past two weeks, the water and environmental affairs department said on Thursday.

"The law enforcement agencies, and rangers in the Kruger National Park, are commended for their actions and commitment to the fight against rhino poaching," said Water and Environmental Affair Minister Edna Molewa.

The arrests brought to 191 the number of suspected rhino poachers arrested across the country since 1 January.

"Among the total number of rhino poached, 64 have been killed in Limpopo, 62 in KwaZulu-Natal, 62 in North West, and 42 in Mpumalanga," said Molewa.

She said 618 rhino had been poached since the beginning of the year, 381 of them in the Kruger National Park.

"The commitment to conservation requires the support of everyone in order to stem the tide of rhino poaching," Molewa said.

- SAPA

[Flutterby]

Some good news at last.

[vinkie]

Mozambican held in KZN for poaching

September 9 2013 at 03:56pm
By SAPA

Durban -

A Mozambican man suspected of rhino poaching was arrested on Sunday, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife authorities said.

“Two gunshots were heard late afternoon on Sunday inside Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park,” Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesman Musa Mntambo said in a statement on Monday.

Field rangers were sent to search the area and additional rangers were posted at all possible exit routes.

At 5.45pm, there was a shoot-out between the rangers and three unidentified men.

“One suspect was injured during the shooting and was later arrested, while two managed to escape,” said Mntambo.

When the man was searched, rangers found a set of horns, a bag, a torch and an axe. On Monday morning, rangers found the carcass of a white rhino.

Ezemvelo CEO Dr Bandile Mkhize expressed concern at the recent increase in the number of shooting encounters faced by rangers.

“Poachers are always ready to shoot to kill our field rangers. This is very concerning as it puts our rangers in danger whenever they are confronted with poachers,” he said.

He said Ezemvelo would continue to intensify its war against rhino poaching.

At least 39 people have been arrested for poaching in KwaZulu-Natal this year, with 63 rhino poached in the province.

- Sapa

Source: [b][u]http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-c ... Vg[/u][/b]