Operation Full Moon is aimed at curbing Rhino Poaching activities in a structured and coordinated manner.
The Herald reports-
Three men arrested as part of Operation Full Moon appeared briefly in the Grahamstown’s Magistrate’s Court on Monday (20/06/16).
The arrest on Friday was a major breakthrough for officials in their attempt to curb rhino poaching.
Forget Ndlovu, 40, of Pacaltsdorp, George, Jabulani Ndlovu, 38 of Cleonie Crescent, Charlo and Sikhumbuzo Ndlovu, 37, of Motherwell were remanded in custody and are due back in court on June 22 for formal bail application. Forget and Jabulani, both originally from Zimbabwe, are not related.
The three were arrested at a chalet at the Makana Resort in Grahamstown at about 10pm on Friday.
The following items were recovered during the arrest:
• One 72 cm rhino horn which had been freshly harvested, estimated to be worth about R1.2 million;
• One darting rifle;
• Saws and knives;
• Drugs used to dart animals;
• Various darts and percussion caps;
• A variety of camping gear and rations;
• Several cellphones; and
• Two rental vehicles rented by the suspects.
The suspects have been linked to the recent poaching of a rhino at Buckland’s Private Game Reserve.
The rhino was last seen alive on at about 09:30am on June 17. It is suspected that the rhino was darted. The suspects could possibly be linked to 10 rhino poaching incidents in the Eastern Cape as well as Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
You can find more on this story here.
More talk talk on the wire that Kinessa Johnson might be heading back to the Dark Continent, but that has yet to be confirmed.
-As always, stay vigilant