The National Parks Board (NParks) of Singapore assisted South African police in the seizure of a shipment of parts of “protected species” transiting in Singapore to South Africa.
NParks released a statement today (Dec. 30) that “On 1 December, the National Parks Board (NParks) of Singapore assisted the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in an integrated approach with other stakeholders for the seizure of a shipment containing 55.4kg of rhinoceros horns and 26.2kg of lion and tiger bonds, skulls and claws in Johannesburg.”
“The operation also resulted in the arrest of two Nigerian men.”
The shipment was returned to South Africa, according to the statement.
NParks was alerted to a suspicious shipment originating from South Africa, which was transiting through Singapore Changi Airport on Nov. 11. It coordinated with DPCI for its controlled return to South Africa to enable further investigation.
On Dec. 1, an operation was launched by the DPCI’s Serious Organised Crime Investigation’s Wildlife Trafficking Unit with the support of other key partners.
Investigators revealed that the shipment originated from a storage facility in Johannesburg, along with the discovery of 17 rhinoceros horns weighing 55.4kg, as well as 26.2kg of lion and tiger bones, including skulls and claws.
Two Nigerian men were charged in South Africa in connection with the seizure for engaging in unlawful activities involving threatened or protected species under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004).
This was the second seizure within the month of November.
On Nov. 8, a shipment was seized by NParks which contained 35.7kg of rhinoceros horns and around 150kg of other animal parts.
The recovered animal parts are believed to be part of a broader transnational trafficking network responsible for smuggling wildlife products from South Africa to other countries.
NParks said the seizure demonstrates the “importance of international cooperation in combating transnational wildlife crime.”
“The decision by NParks to initiate and facilitate a controlled return of the shipment to South Africa enabled the DPCI to conduct investigations at the source country with the potential to identify and dismantle the broader criminal network beyond intercepting a single shipment in another country.”
“The Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is also looking into possible money laundering offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992,” the statement added.
