A suspected rhino horn smuggler is on the loose in Secunda, Mpumalanga.
This is after the suspect, Junior Gorge Mabele Chauke, was arrested for the possession of rhino horns in his vehicle.
The 42-year-old from Mozambique, but resides in Giyani, Limpopo, was arrested with his partner in crime, Prince Ntsako Letswele, by the police in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, in December 2022.
Upon receiving a tip-off about the suspects’ shenanigans, the police spotted a befitting vehicle, stopped it and found six rhino horns estimated at R876 000 and the horns were confiscated.
The duo was apprehended and appeared at in the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court where they were released on bail.
However, Letswele was re-arrested after he allegedly committed a crime in Piet Retief while on bail and he remains in custody. Chauke appeared in court several times, and absconded before his next appearance.
A warrant of arrest was issued on March 1.
The Star enquired whether, Chauke is an undocumented immigrant and Mpumalanga Hawks Provincial Spokesperson, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi could not confirm. “He (Chauke) did not have an identity document on the day of arrest, but confirmed he’s from Mozambique,” she said.
Major General Jacobus Gerber, Mpumalanga head of the Hawks, is calling for Chauke to hand himself in and for the public’s assistance regarding his whereabouts by contacting Warrant Officer Reuban Really Mokoena on 082 303 9965.
The Hawks Secunda-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation is searching for his whereabouts.
The Star