Johannesburg - A Chinese woman was sentenced to a R50 000
fine or three years' imprisonment by the Kempton Park Regional Court on
Wednesday for trying to smuggling ivory through South Africa, the SA Revenue
Service (Sars) said.
"She attempted to smuggle 12.7kg ivory, two lion
claws and 10 Pangolin scales to Hong Kong," spokesperson Adrian Lackay
said in a statement.
"The items were detected in her check-in baggage
after information regarding the consignment was received by Sars."
Jialing Yang, 58, from Guangdong province in China, was
arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport on Friday.
She was en route to Hong Kong from Dubai.
"She stated that she had bought the ivory tusks and
worked ivory, including ivory combs, ornaments, bangles and pendants at a flea
market in Mozambique."
Four men and three women were subsequently arrested at
Hong Kong International Airport between Friday and Sunday following
co-operation between Sars, the SA police, and Interpol.
The seven had travelled to Hong Kong from Dubai via
Johannesburg.
Hong Kong's Tsuen Wan Magistrate's Court handed down
sentences of imprisonment and fines ranging from about R39 000 to about R106 000
to these smugglers.
