Two suspects will appear in the Brits Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of being in possession of 167 rhino horns worth millions of rand.
The two, aged 57 and 61 years, were intercepted and arrested by an integrated team of law enforcement agencies on Saturday in North West.
Police say the horns worth at least R300 million were destined for the Asian markets.
Last year, 769 rhinos were poached in South Africa.
Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi says it is one of the biggest hauls of rhino horns in the country.
“We got information that there were two men who were transporting rhino horns and an operation was then immediately constituted where we managed to arrest the two in the Haartebeestpoort Dam area. Searching the vehicle, we managed to confiscate 167 rhino horns and they were immediately arrested and further investigations led us to believe that the rhino horns were destined for the Asian market.”
#sapsHQ Operation by Hawks, Special Task force, Tracker SA & Vision Tactical landed the 2 suspects behind bars after information surfaced that a vehicle that from a coastal province was carrying a considerable number of rhino horns. #RhinoPoaching TM
https://t.co/PICT44ejmc pic.twitter.com/WT1axeYMti— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) April 14, 2019
