Three men were arrested as they tried to smuggle rhino horn to Vietnam just before the World Cup opening.
Customs officials at OR Tambo International Airport have arrested three men for attempting to smuggle rhino horn from South Africa to Vietnam.
Two of the men were caught just 30 minutes before the World Cup opening ceremony. The third, a foreign student on his way to Vietnam, was arrested Wednesday.
SA Revenue Service spokesperson Siba Mfabe said via The Independent that a total of 24 pieces of rhino horn valued at more than R2 million were concealed in plastic bags and hidden under clothes. She noted that an Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) official made the discovery and contacted SARS.
This is so far the second incident related to South Africa’s rhino poaching crisis to occur during World Cup festivities.
On Monday, rhino poachers disguised as park rangers entered Kruger National Park and killed a rhino. One of the poachers was shot and wounded by park rangers, but the other two escaped.
Illegal trade flourishes, thanks to superstitions about rhino horn
The latest research from the IUCN/SSC and TRAFFIC found that most rhino horn leaving Africa is destined for end-use markets in China and Vietnam.
Cultural myths and superstitions originating in China attribute “healing powers” to rhino horn, although scientific analysis has proven rhino horn has no medicinal effect on humans.
Source: The Independent
See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.