CAPE TOWN: South African authorities have arrested sixteen members of a Czechoslovakia based syndicate who involved in international rhino horn smuggling, South Africa Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said here the other day.
“The arrests are to be welcomed and confirm that the killing of South Africa’s rhino for their precious horns is linked to international crime syndicates,” Minister told the media.
The battle against rhino poaching requires international collaboration. Therefore, part of the department of environmental affairs’ multi-faceted approach to combat the menace has included building international partnerships with countries believed to be transit countries for smugglers and alleged consumer nations, said Molewa.
This has included the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in the field of biodiversity conservation and management with countries such as Vietnam, China and Mozambique.
MoUs are being negotiated and finalised with several other international partners, including Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand and Kenya.
“The arrests are indicative of the international nature of rhino poaching and wildlife crime,” Molewa said.
The South African government, she said, was therefore committed to continuing working with its international counterparts, through the improvement of bilateral relations and strengthening of regional and global partnerships, to nip rhino poaching and smuggling in the bud and save the species from extinction.
The minister appealed to all people in the world to stand together and blow the whistle on wildlife crimes, particularly rhino poaching.
South Africa, home to more than 80 percent of the world’s rhino population, bears the brunt of rhino poaching. It has lost more than 1,000 rhinos since the beginning of this year.
