23 December 2015– SARS Customs officials at the Oliver Tambo International Airport yesterday thwarted an attempt to smuggle two rhino horns out of the country.
The horn weighed approximately 10,5 kg and are worth more than R3 million. Rhinoceros are a Cites-protected species.
Customs officials found the horn in a shipment of taxidermy that had been profiled for examination at a well-known cargo forwarding company. The company was unable to provide the required export documentation upon request.
The forwarding company subsequently contacted and requested the required export documentation from the owner of the shipment, but no response was received within 24 hours.
Because no documents were made available, the destiny of the horn could not be established.
In terms of procedure, the horns were handed over to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) for further investigation.
