Durban - Two men aged 40 and 42, are expected to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court on Wednesday for illegal possession of and dealing in elephant tusks, specialist crime-fighting unit the Hawks said on Tuesday.
The duo was nabbed following an operation conducted by the Hawks’ serious organised crime investigation unit in Germiston, the endangered species team and the Ekurhuleni SWAT team.
The operation took place at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park on Monday following information that the suspects were selling elephant tusks.
"The description of the suspects’ vehicles was confirmed and upon searching, police seized five elephant tusks wrapped and concealed in a travelling luggage," said Hawks' spokesperson captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu.
"Both vehicles, a Ford Figo and Audi Q5, were immediately seized. The suspects were then traced and apprehended at the same location during an undercover-operation. The elephant tusks, weighing about 45 kilograms with an estimated street value of R1.2 million, have since been confiscated."
The men were charged with contravening the National Environment Management: Biodiversity Act.