A 40-year-old Zimbabwean national has been arrested after he was found in possession of three rhino horns in Kameeldrift.

The man was arrested by the station commander of Kameeldrift police station, Lieutenant-Colonel Karel Swanepoel, who was on his way from another crime scene.

Swanepoel was driving on Wewer Road in Kameeldrift after attending a crime scene at Baviaanspoort when he noticed a man carrying a black bag in his left hand turning around on the footpath.

The bag looked heavy and Swanepoel became suspicious of the man and the contents of the bag.

Police spokeswoman Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale said Swanepoel became “extremely suspicious” when the man started running as he passed his car.

“As the suspect approached Lieutenant-Colonel Karel Swanepoel’s vehicle, he began to walk faster and ran past the vehicle into the bushes.

“The station commander gave chase and saw him throwing something out of his bag but still ran with the bag in his possession,” said Mogale.

Swanepoel managed to apprehend the suspect and went back to establish what the suspect threw away.

He found a black plastic bag and inside were three rhino horns of different lengths. Police also seized a torch, cellphone and other loose items.

Swanepoel said he was just doing his police duties but he was shocked when he found the man in possession of the horns.

“I was shocked because you don’t expect to find someone with rhino horns when you search them,” he said.

Swanepoel attributed his success to his long-term belief of conducting regular stop and searches on people he came across. He said he also advised his team to do the same as this would yield more successes for them.

“The best way to do police work is to conduct stop and searches and I tell my team that if they continue doing that, we will have a high rate of success. More members are now adopting the methods and they are doing a remarkable job thus far,” he said.

The man, who has been a police officer for more than 20 years, said he feels that with his actions, he might have saved the lives of a few rhinos.

Mogale said police were busy with investigations to establish where the horns came from and when the rhinos were dehorned.

She said police could not speculate if the man was part of a syndicate dealing with rhino horns but said the investigation would reveal all.

“Police are busy interrogating the suspect to determine where he got the horns from and where he was taking them at the time of his arrest,” said Mogale.

the suspect is expected to appear in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court soon.

Meanwhile, a rhino bull has been killed near Mossel Bay.

The bull’s carcass was found on Monday on Bergsig farm near Hartenbos and Mossel Bay, said Colonel Vishnu Naidoo. Both horns had been severed. “It probably happened on Sunday night,” he said.

The Western Cape has recorded far fewer incidents of rhino poaching compared to other regions, such as the Kruger National Park.

karabo.seanego@inl.co.za - Pretoria News