More than R40 million worth of rhino horn, as well as elephant tusks and leopard skins were seized in two operations in Gauteng last week. Both operations are linked to a 40-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man, who was arrested, along with six foreigners, during the operations.

A police source said during both operations, the suspects were in the process of sawing the horns with bandsaws.

The 40-year-old man was allegedly facilitating the sale the 12 rhino horns to a multibillion-rand international syndicate.

The police source said:

[The KZN man] is the link between the poachers, the foreign nationals who prepare the horns for sale and the international buyers. He is from KwaZulu-Natal but has been living in Vosloorus for the past few months. He has been keeping a low profile.

The man was arrested along with three Chinese nationals and a Malawian man, at a home in Florence Road, Bedfordview, during the first sting.

KZN wildlife authorities suspected the man may be linked to the sale of two poached white rhino horns in the province last week.

Two horns weighing more than 10 kilograms, and two vehicles believed to have been used to transport the horns from KZN to Gauteng, were also seized.

He’s now facing at least seven counts of dealing in rhino horn. With rhino horn trading hands at the lower spectrum of the market for up to R40 000 per kilogram, the police source said for each deal, he could have easily pocketed R300 000.

The bigger the horn, the more money he made. In both these busts, the horns seized were massive. He would have made a fortune if the deal went through.

Sophisticated electronic scales, laptops, documents and files relating to the sale of rhino horn were also seized, with the two large horns apparently destined for China.

During the second operation, two Vietnamese nationals were arrested while cutting, weighing and packaging four horns for export.

Another six horns, weighing more than 55 kilograms, were found buried in the garden of the upmarket R5 million home on the Midrand Golfing Estate.

Police also seized a Volvo and a Mercedes-Benz.

The police source continued that further arrests were imminent:

This is a multibillion-rand syndicate. Information has it that millions and millions of rand’s worth of rhino horn have already been exported in recent months to China and Vietnam. They believe the rhino horns have huge medicinal value to treat cancer and other ailments.

All seven suspects have been remanded in custody and bail will be opposed in all instances, as all the suspects are believed to be flight risks with international connections.

All the foreigners were in the country on holiday visas.

[Source: IOL]