Two More Suspects Named in South Africa’s Rhino Crime Syndicate Investigation

More arrests made in connection to the ‘Groenewald gang’ of South Africa.

Police have arrested two more people believed to be involved with the killing of hundreds of rhinos in South Africa in order to profit from the illegal rhino horn trade. The suspects have been named as Gys du Preez, a professional hunter, and Joseph Maluleka, a farm worker.

This brings the current total of “Groenewald gang” suspects to 13.

In addition to arresting du Preez and Maluleka, investigators found the bodies of 20 rhinos buried on alleged syndicate member Dawie Groenewald’s Musina property, according to Hawk spokesperson Musa Zondi via News24.

The two were arrested from (sic) the farm and they brought the number of the so called Groenewald gang to 13. We also recovered 20 carcasses buried in the farm.

Suspects du Preez and Maluleka will join Dawie Groenewald, veterinarian Karel Toet, and nine other people in court on April 11^th, 2011, to face charges of assault, fraud, corruption, malicious damage to property, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and contravening the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act.

Fletcher-Saaiman syndicate trial

On October 11^th, the criminal trial for nine alleged rhino crime syndicate members is expected to begin at the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. The accused include George Fletcher of Sandhurst Safaris and Gert Saaiman of Saaiman Hunting Safaris.

Multiple charges have been brought against this group, including racketeering, money laundering, various counts of theft, malicious damage to property and contraventions of the various provincial Conservation Acts and the Aviation Act.

Rhino killings driven by demand for traditional ‘medicines’

Rhinos are under siege, due to the demand from China and Vietnam for illegal rhino horn in traditional medicines. However, rhino horn has been scientifically tested and proven to have no medicinal value.

According to WWF, more than 600 rhinos have been gunned down since 2005, and the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC found that rhino horn from southern Africa is destined for consumer markets in China and Vietnam.

Source: News24

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Annamiticus, an educational nonprofit organization which provides news and information about wildlife crime and endangered species. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave, the host of Behind the Schemes, and Producer for the upcoming documentary The Price. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I enjoy gardening, reading, designing, and rocking out to live music.

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