Johannesburg: South African police on Thursday said they had arrested a Hong Kong-bound Chinese man found with 18 rhino horns hidden in his luggage.
He was detained on Wednesday at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport after an anonymous tip-off.
"The 28-year-old male, who was in transit from Namibia to board a South African Airways flight to Hong Kong, was immediately arrested," the organised crime police unit said in a statement.
He is due to appear in court on Friday.
South Africa, which has the largest rhino population worldwide, has been hit the hardest, with 1,200 slaughtered last year alone.
The illegal trade is driven by huge demand in Vietnam and China, where it is believed to have medicinal powers curing everything from hangovers to cancer.
The horn is also crafted into prized ornaments.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
He was detained on Wednesday at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport after an anonymous tip-off.
"The 28-year-old male, who was in transit from Namibia to board a South African Airways flight to Hong Kong, was immediately arrested," the organised crime police unit said in a statement.
He is due to appear in court on Friday.
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South Africa, which has the largest rhino population worldwide, has been hit the hardest, with 1,200 slaughtered last year alone.
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The illegal trade is driven by huge demand in Vietnam and China, where it is believed to have medicinal powers curing everything from hangovers to cancer.
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The horn is also crafted into prized ornaments.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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