Singapore Jails South African 2 Years For Smuggling Rhinoceros Horns
SINGAPORE, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- A South African man was sentenced to two years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to two charges under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act (ESA) for smuggling rhinoceros horns.
“This is the heaviest sentence meted out in Singapore to date for a case involving the smuggling of wildlife parts,” said the National Parks Board (NParks) in a statement.
On Oct 4, 2022, NParks had seized 20 pieces of rhinoceros horns that were being smuggled through Singapore Changi Airport.
Airport security and NParks’ K9 Unit had inspected two pieces of baggage and had found 34.7 kg of horns, with an estimated value of S$1,200,140.79 (US$843,210) inside.
Gumede Sthembiso Joel, 33, who was travelling from South Africa to Laos through Singapore, was arrested and the horns were seized.
During their investigations, NParks, with the support of the Singapore Police Force’s Commercial Affairs Department and the INTERPOL, had deployed officers to South Africa for evidence analysis.
The investigations had revealed that the accused was acquainted with another South African named Jaycee Israel Marvatona, whom the former knew to be involved in the illegal trade of rhinoceros horns.
Sometime in or before September 2022, Marvatona had requested the accused to transport the horns from South Africa to Laos through Singapore.
On Oct 3, 2022, the accused boarded a flight to Singapore.
After examination by NParks’ Centre for Wildlife Forensics, 18 pieces of the horns were identified to be from 15 different White Rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum), while the remaining two pieces were from one Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis).
Rhinoceroses are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Under the ESA, the penalties for the possession of CITES-scheduled Appendix I species transiting through Singapore without a valid permit are a fine not exceeding S$50,000 for each scheduled species in transit (not exceeding S$500,000) and/or up to two years’ imprisonment.
Singapore is a signatory to CITES.
-- BERNAMA
