Processed rhino horn, ivory bust

Two Chinese nationals were arrested at Hout Bay police station on Monday January 30 after their backpack containing pieces of processed rhino horn and ivory was turned in to police by a local restaurant. The men, aged 24 and 27, appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha said the pair allegedly inadvertently forgot the backpack at a restaurant in Hout Bay on Sunday night, only to show up at the venue on Monday afternoon to claim it. “The seemingly oblivious duo, were then directed to the nearby police station where the parcel was said to be handed in for safe keeping. The loot is valued at just over R60 000.” Upon their arrival, members of the elite unit were alerted, culminating in the arrest of the two on the spot. They have been charged with unlawful possession of Rhino horn and ivory in contraventions of Section 41 (a) and (b) of the Ordinance of Cape Nature Act no: 19 of 1974.