An 84-year-old is among six people who have been arrested in connection with a transnational multimillion rand rhino horn trafficking syndicate following a probe over seven years.
The group appeared in the Pretoria magistrates court on Tuesday on charges of fraud, theft, and contravention of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act NEMBA of 2004, with additional charges of racketeering and money laundering still under consideration.
The syndicate is linked to a fraudulent scheme involving 964 rhino horns, worth millions of rands, destined for illegal markets in Southeast Asia, said department of forestry, fisheries and environment DFFE spokesperson Thobile Zulu-Molobi.