Chinese national rhino horns

A Chinese national was found guilty of dealing in rhino horns. Photos: Pexels

OR Tambo passenger intercepted trying to smuggle rhino horn to Dubai

An OR Tambo International Airport passenger was caught by SARS customs officials trying to smuggle rhino horns into Dubai.

Chinese national rhino horns

A Chinese national was found guilty of dealing in rhino horns. Photos: Pexels

The travel plans of a passenger at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg were grounded this week by South African Revenue Service (SARS) customs staff along with other officials. The female passenger was attempting to smuggle over 30 kilograms of rhino horns into Dubai.

SARS TIP-OFF STUMPS SMUGGLER

A SARS representative said on Friday that the luggage of a female South African passenger at OR Tambo was intercepted by officials.

The luggage contained 12 pieces of rhino horn weighing 30.7 kilograms. The bust was made possible after officials received a tip-off regarding a passenger travelling to Dubai.

The SARS representative says the customs team reacted swiftly and accompanied the female passenger to the Customs area for further inspection.

“The two luggage bags and a box were inspected by a baggage scanner that identified irregular images suspected to be rhino horn. This led to a physical inspection of the luggage and box in which the 12 pieces were found. The passenger together with the rhino horn were handed to the South African Police Services after which a criminal case was opened for further investigation,”

they said.

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OR TAMBO MISSIONS CONFISCATE OVER 400 KILOGRAMS OF RHINO HORN

SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter says the bust was a step in the right direction in the war against smuggling.

“I am sincerely thankful to our SARS Customs officers and their counterparts from the South African Police Service. We will leave no stone unturned to detect and prosecute these criminal syndicates and individuals who break the law. SARS and the law enforcement agencies will spare no efforts to ensure they are brought to book,”

said SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter.

Between July 2020 and December 2021 a total of 125 pieces of rhino horn that weighed in at 452 kilograms were seized at OR Tambo International Airport.

  • December 2021: Six pieces of rhino horn, weighing 4kg declared as ‘Personal Effects’, bound for China.
  • December 2021: Five pieces of rhino horn, weighing 10kg declared as ‘Scanners’, bound for Malaysia.
  • July 2021; 32 pieces, weighing 160kg declared as ‘Live Plants, bound for Malaysia.
  • February 2021: 18 pieces of rhino horn, weighing 63kg declared as ‘HP Cartridges Developers’, bound for Malaysia.
  • December 2020: 17 pieces of rhino Horn weighing 72.4kg concealed in a geyser bound for Malaysia.
  • September 2020: Six pieces, weighing 4.9kg declared as “Coffee Beans”, bound for Malaysia.
  • July 2020: 41 pieces, weighing 137kg declared as “Fine Arts”, bound for Malaysia via Doha.

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