52-year-old linked to stolen rhino horns arrested by Hawks.
Image: File / Lucas Alexander / Unsplash
A family trip to Singapore was abruptly halted after a 52-year-old man was arrested at a Gauteng airport just moments before he was to depart.
According to police, the accused is scheduled to make a brief appearance in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
"The suspect has been linked to a Kempton Park case of possession of rhino horns and predator bones, which were discovered to have been from Hartbeesfontein in North West. This follows the arrests of two Nigerian nationals in December last year," said police spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale.
The horns were allegedly stolen in a staged robbery at Voi Farm, Hartbeesfontein.
Investigators found that 17 of the recovered horns from two Nigerian nationals arrested on December 1, 2025, were part of the 98 horns reportedly stolen in the December robbery.
Police added that the owner of the rhino horns, a Vietnamese national, was not present at the time of the robbery.
Mogale said a Toyota Prado, suspected to have been used by the suspects, was traced to Woodhill Golf Estate in Pretoria. The vehicle was seized by police.
Acting National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Lieutenant General Patrick Mbotho, reiterated that the DPCI will remain steadfast in stamping out wildlife trafficking and related serious organised crime.
IOL News