More syndicates focusing on rhino poaching

The trial of three men suspected of rhino poaching has been postponed. Photo: Moloko Moloto

The trial of three men suspected of rhino poaching has been postponed. Photo: Moloko Moloto

Published Mar 9, 2012

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Joseph “Big Joe” Nyalunga was arrested last Friday when police officers allegedly found four rhino horns behind the seat of his Colt bakkie in Hazyview, Mpumalanga.

The 48-year-old former policeman is suspected to have been involved in the poaching of two rhinos in the Kruger National Park. Four park officials were also arrested in connection with the poaching incident.

Three years ago, Nyalunga resigned from the SAPS over his alleged involvement with a syndicate smuggling cigarettes and vehicles in and out of Mozambique. Rhino experts say there is a new trend emerging in relation to rhino poaching. Increasingly, criminal syndicates usually associated with more hardened crimes like drug trafficking and vehicle theft are turning to rhino poaching.

“Over the last couple of years there has been a change; international, sophisticated criminals are becoming involved because of the sky-high prices,” said Dr Richard Thomas, the communications co-ordinator for TRAFFIC International, a wildlife trade-monitoring network.

This level of increasing sophistication, said Thomas, could be noted in the use of bulk consignments that are hidden in containers and sent by sea. Horn is often mixed with other contraband.

In November last year, customs officials in Hong Kong found 33 rhino horns hidden in a container that was marked as carrying scrap plastic.

Also found were 758 ivory chopsticks and 127 ivory bracelets. The ship carrying the container had come from Cape Town.

“You need a high level of organisation to pull something like this together,” explained Thomas.

Thomas said the sea route from Cape Town to Hong Kong was usually used by perlemoen smugglers.

The preferred way of getting horn out of SA was to smuggle it out through OR Tambo International Airport, usually in single units.

Law enforcement officials on the ground have also noticed the increased involvement of hardened criminals in rhino poaching.

“Each year, a certain percentage are climbing onto the bandwagon. Hardened criminals are getting into the game. At this stage it doesn’t look good, but there is progress. Syndicate leaders have been arrested,” said an official, who would speak only on condition of anonymity.

What law enforcement officials are fighting is a demand for rhino horn that continues to grow in Asia, fuelled by an emerging middle class who see possession of rhino horn as a status symbol.

They are using the horn as a hangover cure and detoxifier, among other things.

Getting that horn to the Asian market involves not only the poachers and smuggling routes, but also bit players known in the drug-trafficking world as mules. When it comes to rhino horn smuggling, they are known simply as couriers.

They usually are young and carry a lot of cash in dollars, and it is up to them to get the merchandise into places like Vietnam, Thailand or China.

The experts believe SA is slowly moving in the right direction to end rhino poaching. There has been an increase in the numbers of arrests of rhino-poaching kingpins. - The Star

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