Pretoria 31 October 2014 – Today the SARS Customs Team at OR Tambo International Airport has stopped over 41kg of rhino horns – with a total value of over R4.5 million – leaving the country.
As a result of specific, targeted profiling work, two foreign nationals travelling from Maputo to Vietnam via Johannesburg were intercepted in the International Departures section of the airport for additional searches.
SARS Detector Dog “Mimmo” (specifically trained to identify rhino horn) reacted positively to bags carried by both passengers. In those bags the team found at least 34 large pieces of horn – 20.8kg carried by one passenger and 20.6kg by the other.
Both individuals and the rhino horn have been handed over to the SAPS for further investigation.
This is the biggest ever seizure of rhino horn by the SARS Customs team at OR Tambo International.
