During an intelligence driven operation at OR Tambo International Airport, a man 34, was arrested for the illegal possession of lion bones. He is expected to appear at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.
The Hawks together with the Ekurhuleni Metro Police found twelve boxes of lion bones in a cargo container, which was understood to have been destined for Malaysia.
Gauteng Hawks spokesperson Ndivuwo Mulamu says, “Members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime unit, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) SWAT unit and Crime Intelligence intercepted a suspicious consignment on Tuesday.”
“The resultant search of the cargo led to the recovery of twelve boxes filled with what was later established to be lion bones reportedly destined for Malaysia. The suspect was immediately apprehended and has been charged for contravening the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA),” added Mulamu.
The Act provides for the management and conservation of South Africa’s biodiversity. It also provides for the protection of species and ecosystems that warrant national protection; the sustainable use of indigenous biological resources; the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from bioprospecting involving indigenous biological resources; the establishment and functions of a South African National Biodiversity Institute.
