John Hume, the 83-year-old South African conservationist who bred the worlds largest private rhino herd, has been arrested alongside five accomplices for allegedly orchestrating a R250 million rhino horn smuggling operation that exploited legal domestic trade to funnel horns to illegal international markets.
Moneyweb reports that Hume, who long advocated for legalizing international horn trade, now faces charges including fraud, theft, and violations of biodiversity laws, following a seven-year investigation into a syndicate allegedly responsible for trafficking 964 rhino horns to Southeast Asia.
According to BusinessTech , the suspects defrauded the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment by securing permits under false pretenses to legally buy and sell horns in South Africa, where domestic trade is permitted but has little market. The horns were then allegedly diverted to illicit markets in Southeast Asia, where ground rhino horn is erroneously believed to cure ailments like cancer.