Six suspects are expected to appear in the Alexandra magistrate’s court in northern Johannesburg on Monday after they were arrested in a sting operation while looking for a buyer for a poached pangolin.
The suspects are aged between 28 and 42.
“The group, who have been charged for contravening the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), was pounced upon on Thursday, August 13 at a lodge in Midrand, in an intelligence-driven operation conducted by the Hawks’ Wildlife-Trafficking team together with Crime Intelligence and Benoni K9,” said Hawks spokesperson Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu.
“The scaly protected species, which was still alive, was found hidden in a cardboard box. All six suspects, five males and a female, were immediately arrested and charged,” Mulamu added.
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