Who said crime doesn’t pay?

The Hawks raided the home of one Dawie Groenewald this morning, in an “uncapped asset forfeiture” (read: repo raid) worth an estimated R55 million.

Groenewald, a game farm owner and ex-safari operator, and his chums, including wildlife vets, Dr. Karel Toet and Manie Du Plessis, and several big game hunters, ran a syndicate in rhino poaching and the illegal trade in rhino horns worth estimated tens of millions of rands, and together stand accused in one of South Africa’s biggest ever wildlife cases – 1872 counts of racketeering – after their arrest in September 2010. The case is due to be heard later this year.

Here’s a gallery of shots from the asset forfeiture this morning. The assets and property you see here will be placed under curatorship, while the accused will be asked to explain just how they accrued this much bling. The suspicion is that everything you see here is drenched in the blood of poor, innocent rhinos.

Here’s the official SAPS press statement:

Pretoria, 9 May 2012

The joint security forces including the Endangered Species of the Hawks, the NPA, the Asset Forfieture Unit, Department of Environmental affairs and the curators made a huge stride in our undying effort to thwart rhino poaching in South Africa. This team has seized assets in the region of R55 million, believed to have been acquired through criminal activities, particularly rhino poaching from Dawie Groenewald, two veterinary surgeons, Drs Karel Toet and Manie Du Plessis.

In September 2010 the aforementioned accused were officially charged with 1872 counts of racketeering which makes it one of the biggest wildlife cases in South Africa. While this matter is still pending in court, the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act allows the Asset Forfeiture Unit to seize and preserve the assets of an accused until the case is finalized. On conviction of an accused, the seizure is realized and these proceeds are then used to continue with the combating of crime.

The joint security forces which also includes the SAPS, SANDF and SANPARKS have worked tirelessly over the years to bring rhino poachers to book. Since January this year 99 people were arrested for rhino related matters country wide. It is imperative to mention these cases to indicate the extent of the the problem of rhino poaching.

[Source: Jacaranda FM, SAPS Press Release, Planet Save, Sprig]