Cops praised for for huge poaching bust
2012-05-16 21:51
Johannesburg - The officials who recovered 10 rhino horns and R3.5m in cash in a Bedfordview raid needed a "big pat on the back", Ekurhuleni Community Safety MMC Mthuthuzeli Siboza said on Wednesday.
"Only [through] true dedication to their work, coupled with good relations with communities they serve, can such impressive yields be realised by our metro police officers in the fight against crime in our city of Ekurhuleni," he said in a statement.
"Strong partnerships with communities as well as with our big brother [the] SA Police Service are proof that together we can make significant headway in fighting criminals.
All parties which collaborated in this success deserve a big pat on their backs."
A Vietnamese man was arrested in the raid on his flat on Tuesday night.
Siboza said Ekurhuleni metro police had gathered information on the flat two weeks before the raid.
Ten rhino horns, an elephant tusk, gold jewellery, R3.5m and $40 000 (about R332 400) in cash were seized.
Colonel Vishnu Naidoo said the horns were worth about R12m to R15m.
- SAPA
