Durban - The National Prosecuting Authority obtained an order in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday to preserve R68 000 gained illegally through the sale of two rhino horns.
A police trap had been set. Two white rhino horns, supplied by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, had been given to a hunter who had acted as a police agent to supply to two Durban men who had buyers in Johannesburg.
Carel Nel, a broker, and Suraj Rampersad, a former attorney, and the agent - who is now a State witness - went to Johannesburg on two separate occasions in January 2010 and sold the horns to a Chinese client.
The hunter’s share of the sale was R48 000 and R20 000 which he handed to police.
This money has now been preserved pending a forfeiture order.
Nel and Rampersad were both arrested and were granted bail in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on charges of contravening the Biodiversity Act.
A deputy director of public prosecutions attached to the Asset Forfeiture Unit, Kenneth Samuel, said in court papers that in terms of the act, no person could carry out a restricted activity involving a protected species without a permit.
Selling or trading of a listed threatened or protected species was a restricted activity.
He said the poaching of rhino and the subsequent dealing in rhino horn in South Africa had reached alarming proportions.
In 2012, 668 rhino were poached, 947 were poached in 2013 and 1 215 were poached last year.
Detective Riaan Hendrik van Rooyen said in an affidavit that he had experience in wildlife crime and had been part of the rhino task team established to investigate poaching of rhino.
He said he was concerned the poaching of rhino would lead to their extinction.
Van Rooyen said Nel had volunteered to assist police in their investigations and to testify in the State’s case.
According to his statement, he met Rampersad on a business matter in 2009.
In June/July that year Rampersad told Nel he was aware that certain Chinese buyers in Johannesburg wished to buy rhino horn and that Rampersad might be able to secure a rhino horn to sell.
Nel joined Rampersad in his illegal endeavour.
He collected a rhino horn in Durban and both men went to Johannesburg to sell it to the potential buyer, who did not buy it, saying it was rotten.
In January the following year, Rampersad contacted Nel to get horns.
Nel in turn contacted the professional hunter to assist in getting them.
The hunter contacted police saying he had information concerning the illegal trade of rhino horn in KwaZulu-Natal and was willing to act as a police agent.
Ezemvelo provided the horns to the hunter who went along with the men to Johannesburg to sell them.
Mercury