A Chinese man who stashed 18 rhino horns in his luggage has been arrested at a South African airport.
The man was held at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport after police received an anonymous tip-off. A statement from the organized crime unit said: "The 28-year-old male, who was in transit from Namibia to board a South African Airways flight to Hong Kong, was immediately arrested." The man is due to appear in court on Friday. The horns, weighing 43 kilograms (95 pounds) and valued at about £374,400, ($465,000) are in demand within the Asian community. Some believe they have curative powers for everything from hangovers to cancer - and that they are an aphrodisiac. The horn is also prized for use in carving ornaments. Southern African countries are battling increased poaching levels as organised gangs from mainly Asian countries try to meet the growing demand from countries such as Vietnam and China. Another Hong Kong-bound Chinese man was arrested in August this year at OR Tambo airport. He was carrying 10 rhino horns along with carved ornaments. Related Story: A few days ago we wrote a rather unvarnished article detailing why we believe China is guilty of being a Wildlife Trafficking Criminal. Please take a look |
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