A passenger travelling from Zambia via Johannesburg to Asia has been caught with rhino horns.
The bust was made at O R Tambo International Airport by police and customs officials.
Her suitcase was intercepted at the luggage transfer area of the international terminal within the central terminal building‚ the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement.
“Immediately after the detection of the suitcase‚ the passenger linked to the suitcase was identified and escorted to the search area. The bag was scanned and then physically searched confirming that it indeed contained pieces of rhino horn.
“It has been established from the preliminary investigations that the suitcase contained 11 pieces of rhino horn weighing approximately 20 kilograms.”
The bag arrived from Lusaka‚ Zambia‚ destined for Hong Kong via a SAA flight.
The suspect is a 24-year-old woman who is currently in police custody.
She will be facing charges in terms of the Endangered Species Act.
“The intensified collaborative efforts to curb criminality within and around the O R Tambo International Airport are proving to be very successful‚” said Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo.
“Since the implementation of our revised strategies the team foiled a brazen robbery at the cargo terminal of the airport. Last week the team‚ as part of our proactive measures‚ identified a vehicle with four armed men suspected to be part of a group that follows people from the airport and subsequently rob them. Also we have not had any reports of people being followed from the airport and robbed.
“Both the proactive and reactive measures are proving to be effective and we will continue to find new innovative ways to remain a step ahead of the criminals.”
Why are woman always culprits?
the question is do we have 20 rhinos in Zambia? I think these rhino horns have come from a store room somewhere. can the wildlife PRO clear the air. I doubt these are rhino horns are from the wild.
And Zambia didnt catch that? Very useless Zambia customs. All they want is money.
Where is that woman is always the first person comment on anything? Is she the one who has been caught in RSA with Rhino horns?
Women are used as no one would suspect them…they by passed KKIA and no one stopped her meaning they have done it before. Just introduce death sentence and shoot on sight with poachers. 20 horns is alot of animals!!
Another worrying aspect of Zambia’s incompetence when dealing with clandestine and illegal activities. The ban is an agreed world ban. The questions will be can Zambia be trusted? or there is complacent in enforcing such bans because of Zambians are pron to corruption as a way of life. The woman traveller came from Zambia. How did she evade detection?. Again Zambia in the limelight of corruption. The Malawian involved in the Zambian Maize gate is serving jail, the Zambian counter part is free and laughing. The world is watching including the Cooperating partners. There is a risk consideration element by IMF aid to Zambia.
11 RHINO HORNS!! THAT IS A LOT OF DESTRUCTION TO WILDLIFE!! She must be part of a big syndicate that is using Zambia as a transit point because I don’t think we can have that number Rhinos slaughtered without making news! These horns might have been smuggled from RSA itself or some neighbouring by road into Zambia and where now on their final trip!
I am surprised this lady did not hide the rhino horns in that area where women usually hide drugs…
Maybe if they checked that area, they might have found even more horns..
Horny lady!!!!
@IndigoTyrol: Mention the area Kabili!!!!!
Security in zambia is seriously compromised by politics and corruption. Manpower is targeted at imagined enemies in the opposition leaving real criminals scot-free.
Jim
Let that read “…manpower is targeted at the innocent…living real criminals scot free…”
Rhino horns from Zambia, I doubt it as bwafyaa just said the horns came from neighbouring country, coz the population of rhinos in zambia is small and could have been noticed. Therefore ,the woman in question should be properly interrogated.
It is possible that our own guardians of these horns connived with the woman. Our own people at the strong room.
The problem is that our girls fall in love with ‘romantic ‘ Nigerians
This is the reason why investors are so excited about Zambia in spite of the bad politics and TSOE. It’s so easy to come in, get what you want, oil a few hands and off you go! That is Zambia for you. Any idea why South Africans refer to Zambia as a bamba Zonke country – get everything. Some big fishes could be involved. What a mess we are in as a country!
The chances are that the South Africans were looking at pilfering what is in the suitcase when they accidentally discovered this cache!
There is too much theft from passenger suitcases in J’Burg!
And they passed through sleepy Zambian secruity with ease meaning that they have done it before these evil smugglers/ poachers. Please tell us the nationality of the woman since you have the passport?
I have said this and i say it again Zambia needs a separate unit reporting to Justice Dept with sniffer dogs at all border crossings.
Now the RSA authority will keep these horns and sell them as they are eager to sell horns legally on the market.
She was Chinese, taking the profits of Zambian road contracts back to China!
The police in Zambia is useless hence the illegality everywhere.I don’t blame the woman but the system in place which so porous.Plane used to land in luagwa park but nothing happened.Govt yesu tefitu kano ama politics chapwa.
That is about $550,000. She was gonna be very rich
Something has to change in Zambia.
Well if Rhino horns are aphrodisiac then 11 contraband horns is rabid sex life. What’s her secret? Leave our Rhinos alone please.
UPNDonkeys, losing presidential elections five or six times or even times should not make underfive and his party hate everybody else. Poor strategy, hate, ethnic bias, lies, inconsistency, wrong company etc etc all contribute to ekectoral performance in a big way. Its even worse if people dont like you a person, as with underfive, and tgen you add the above factors. And you have added more: arson, sabotage, disrespect for authority, and presidential motorcades, all things tgat Zambians hold dearly. 2021 ni kaya kaya.
Funny how to most of these countries such items are smuggled into have stiff and punitive laws while here in Africa they are so laxed!
I say lets also go the Asia way, if found guilty shoot the Bustard within a week and lets see if they will be anyone brave. by the way how did it get all the way to Jozi from
– Definately passed through Cairo Rd
– all the way to Great East Rd
– then that ka stretch from the round about to the Airport
– then the car walk into the terminal from the car
– past through customs
– Then onboard a plane….
Ndiye ko yenda na mpolopolo, waza kaamba!
Is it pieces of Rhino horn or or whole Rhino horn which was baby Rhino horns? A single Rhino horn should surely way more than 20 kilos? Any way its sad that 11 Rhinos have been slaughtered to help sone horny dud get his mojo in Asia….