SA citizens indicted in US rhino poaching case

Two South Africans, joint-owners of Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris have been indicted by the US Department of Justice in connection with alleged rhino poaching. Image: Saving Rhinos

The department says the two South Africans, indicted by the US Department of Justice were the owners of Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris. We will monitor developments related to the case," said the department's spokesman Albi Modise.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, assisted the US Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division in their investigation.

Modise said the department understands that there is a criminal case against Dawie Groenewald and 10 co-accused, who are expected to stand trial in South Africa in August 2015 on 1,872 charges including racketeering, illegal trade in rhino horns, fraud, corruption, assault and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Legal action by the United States Attorney General's Office comes less than a week after the police and SANParks officials successfully apprehended 14 suspected rhino poachers in joint operations at the Kruger National Park.

"The success of the joint operations undertaken by the SAPS and SANParks is an example of the commitment of South Africa's police and rangers to work together to eliminate rhino poaching from our country," said the department.

Operations in the Kruger National Park

The Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris offers safari hunters the opportunity to shoot the endangered Roan antelope in Tanzania. The cost of the permit is $4,000 while the ten-day safari for a single hunter is $15,000 exluding permits and airfares. Image: ShomoNews

The three successful operations were undertaken in the Kruger National Park between 17 and 19 October.

The arrest of the 14 suspected rhino poachers brought to 113 the number of poachers arrested in the Kruger National Park this year.

"The department is confident that joint operations such as these send a strong message to all those intent on poaching any species, particularly rhino, in our national parks, provincial reserves and on private conservation land. They will be apprehended and fbought to justice."

The successful arrests in the Kruger National Park came as the number of rhino poached in South Africa since the start of this year rose to 899.

The Kruger National Park continued to bear the brunt of rhino poaching in South Africa, having lost 581 animals since January.

A total of 109 rhino have been poached in Limpopo, 74 in KwaZulu-Natal, 57 in Mpumalanga and 53 in North West and two in the Northern Cape.

Since January 282 alleged rhino poachers have been arrested.

The department urged the public to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800-205-005, or Crime-Line on the text message number 32211.