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Customs officials at OR Tambo International Airport have discovered 41 pieces of rhino horn valued at R115.6 million in a consignment declared as “fine art”.
The South African Revenue Service said that the haul was discovered during an inspection of warehouses at ORTIA on Tuesday.
“One of the customs teams, aided by detector dogs, detected and intervened to stop a consignment of goods destined for Kuala Lumpur via Doha,” SARS said in a statement.
The South African Police Services’ Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (HAWKS) were alerted and a criminal case was registered for further investigation.
Meanwhile, SARS said customs officials also discovered abalone valued at close to R1 million, destined for Hong Kong, and ephedrine, valued at R600 000, which had been hidden in two printer cartridges and destined for Madagascar.
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said; “Criminal and illicit economic activities are rife and result in billions of rand in losses in tax and customs revenue to the Fiscus.”
