Investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly defrauded the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) by securing permits under false pretences to buy and sell rhino horns domestically, while funnelling them into illegal international markets.

Under South African law, domestic trade is permitted with a valid DFFE-issued permit in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) of 2004.

International commercial trade in rhino horn is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

“After a seven-year investigation, the Wildlife Trafficking Section of the Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit has dismantled a major transnational rhino horn trafficking network.

“The six suspects, between the ages of 49 and 84, face charges of fraud, theft, and contravention of the NEMBA, with additional charges of racketeering and money laundering under consideration,” the department said.

The six suspects, five men and one woman, surrendered to the Hawks at Sunnyside Police Station.

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has hailed the arrests as a decisive victory in South Africa’s fight against international wildlife crime.

“This complex investigation, which was also supported by the Enforcement unit of the Department (the Green Scorpions) and the National Prosecuting Authority, is a powerful demonstration of South Africa’s resolve to protect its natural heritage.

“The Hawks’ work shows that our enforcement agencies will not hesitate to pursue those who plunder our wildlife for criminal profit. The illegal trade in rhino horn not only destroys biodiversity but also undermines the rule of law and the foundations of environmental governance,” the Minister said.

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“On Monday, 28 July 2025, the Department of Home Affairs dismissed a further five officials, with immediate effect, for offences ranging from fraud to sexual assault. The total number of officials dismissed between July 2024 and July 2025 now stands at 38,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry said eight officials have already been convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from four to 18 years, while the criminal prosecution of another 19 is underway.

“These dismissals follow on the crackdown on a passport syndicate in Durban just last month, where two officials and three members of the public were arrested. These results demonstrate the growing success of Home Affairs in dealing with criminal syndicates both inside and outside the department,” said the Ministry.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said the days of defrauding the department are over.

“In just 12 months, we have already rid Home Affairs of 38 crooked and delinquent officials. I repeat my warning to anyone involved in corruption: the days of defrauding this department or committing acts of sexual harassment or abuse while relying on long drawn-out disciplinary processes, are over.”

The Minister thanked the department’s diligent officials, including those involved in accelerating disciplinary processes, who are playing a critical role “in our work to clean up Home Affairs”.

“Committed officials like these are the future of Home Affairs, as we continue to work together as #TeamHomeAffairs to clean out the corrupt elements that represent the past,” said the Minister.

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The 31-year-old male was arrested on 24 May 2025 at approximately 17:00 in the Giyani Central Business District. His capture followed an intelligence-led operation by the Mopani District Tracking Team in collaboration with members of the Giyani Public Order Police (POPS).

The suspect faces multiple charges related to two major incidents:

Mashashane Policing Precinct (May 2023):

• Count 1: Robbery with aggravating circumstances

• Count 2: Malicious damage to property (ATM bombing)

Seshego Policing Area (March 2023):

• Count 1: Robbery with aggravating circumstances

• Count 2: Malicious damage to property (ATM bombing)

The arrest came as a result of actionable intelligence and sustained surveillance of the suspect’s movements. The coordinated effort led to his successful apprehension in the heart of Giyani’s CBD.

Following the arrest, the suspect was transported to Giyani SAPS where he was formally processed and remains in custody. The case has since been handed over to the Provincial Organised Crime Unit for further investigation.

Commenting on the development, Limpopo Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, said:

“This arrest marks a significant milestone in our relentless fight against organised crime, especially the wave of ATM bombings that have instilled fear in our communities and inflicted serious financial losses. It highlights the impact of focused intelligence operations and the commitment of our specialised teams.”

The suspect is expected to appear before the relevant Magistrate’s Court in due course.

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“The Gauteng Provincial Legislature commends the successful joint operation led by the Gauteng Hawks, Sandringham Police, Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, and a private security company, which resulted in the rescue of 26 men believed to be Ethiopian nationals and the arrest of three suspects allegedly linked to human trafficking in Johannesburg,” it said in a statement on Friday.

According to the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks), authorities responded to a tip-off from neighbours about suspicious activities at a residence in the area. Upon their arrival on Thursday, they found 15 naked individuals, suspected to be Ethiopian nationals held captive inside the house.

Eleven others were transported to the hospital for medical treatment.

The Hawks said the three suspects, who were allegedly involved in human trafficking and illegal possession of a firearm, were  found with a 9mm P Tokarev pistol, one magazine and no ammunition.

The provincial legislature said that human trafficking is a heinous crime and a gross violation of human rights, affecting millions of vulnerable individuals globally.

“The legislature is deeply concerned about the increasing prevalence of human trafficking in our province, where incidents have alarmingly risen four-fold over recent years. The Gauteng Provincial Legislature urges law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts to bring all perpetrators of these crimes to justice. As a law-making institution, we firmly support ongoing investigations and look forward to seeing further arrests and prosecutions in this matter,” said the GPL.

In September 2024, the GPL launched a province-wide campaign to raise awareness in communities of the scourge of human trafficking.

“This work is ongoing as we embark on roadshows across the five regions in Gauteng focusing, primarily on hotspot areas. This initiative has fostered greater collaboration among NGOs [non-government organisations], government departments, and other like-minded organisations to strengthen efforts to eradicate human trafficking in Gauteng.”

The legislature added that while it does not directly handle individual cases, it has taken proactive measures to address the issue including working closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and participating in the Provincial Task Team, which brings together key government stakeholders to tackle this growing challenge.

“The GPL remains committed to the protection of vulnerable individuals and [to] uphold the dignity and rights of all people. Together, through collective action and enhanced cooperation, we can bring an end to human trafficking and make Gauteng a safer place for everyone,” it said.

Additional charges

Meanwhile, the Hawks said that the suspects will also face additional charges for
their alleged involvement in trafficking in persons, kidnapping, extortion and contravention of the Immigration Act.

“Further investigation revealed that one of the victims was identified as a victim of a kidnapping case reported in Benoni in November 2024. The suspects allegedly demanded a ransom of R180 000.

“Three more victims were interviewed with the assistance of an Ethiopian interpreter and it was established that they reportedly came to the country willingly. The interpreter will be aided by three additional interpreters from the Ethiopian Embassy to complete the statement-taking process on Monday, 13 January 2025,” said the Hawks.

The suspects will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Monday, 13 January 2025, to face charges related to the Benoni kidnapping case.

“Additional charges of human trafficking or smuggling will be finalised after all victims have been interviewed.”

In addition, the Provincial Head of the Hawks in Gauteng, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa welcomed the developments and said the breakthrough on this case is a testament to the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in combating trafficking and smuggling of migrants and related crimes.

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The suspects were apprehended for crimes including sexual offences, murder, rape, attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, drug trafficking, illegal liquor dealing, possession of drugs, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, burglaries at both business and residential premises, driving under the influence of alcohol, and illicit mining activities involving gold-bearing material.

In addition to the arrests, 301 individuals suspected of being undocumented were detained and processed by Immigration Officials. A total of 372 arrests were made during targeted detective operations aimed at high-risk suspects.

As part of the comprehensive operations, law enforcement officers conducted searches at 203 premises, 2569 individuals, and 543 vehicles. They also carried out compliance inspections at 131 licensed liquor outlets, 72 second-hand goods dealers, and 29 farms. The operations led to significant seizures, including 83 rounds of ammunition, eight firearms, three vehicles, various drugs, and assorted alcoholic beverages.

Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, the Provincial Commissioner of North West, praised all involved for their commitment and for asserting the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all citizens. “This operation underscores our collective dedication to combatting crime and maintaining public order,” he said.

Limpopo, meanwhile, between 4 and 10 November saw 611 suspects arrested as part of Shanela operations that included roadblocks, stop and searches, and tracing of wanted suspects. Four firearms and 28 ‘dangerous weapons’ were seized, one stolen or hijacked motor vehicle was recovered, and small quantities of drugs were seized, the SAPS said.

The previous week (28 October to 3 November), nationwide Shanela operations netted 13020 arrests, including 2052 wanted suspects, 1122 illegal immigrants, 579 drunk drivers, and 140 murder suspects. Nearly 100 firearms and 1180 rounds of ammunition were also confiscated, along with 44 hijacked or stolen vehicles.

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Through cooperation between detective services and crime intelligence tracing operations, roadblocks, and stop and searches, the SAPS have “taken a bold and decisive approach in protecting the communities that they serve.”

Arrests

In a statement, the SAPS announced 2 673 wanted suspects were apprehended in connection with crimes such as murder, rape, possession of illegal firearms and business robberies, with116 suspects arrested for murder. A further 94 suspects were arrested for attempted murder, while 218 suspects were arrested for rape, with 94 of them were arrested in the province of KwaZulu Natal (KZN).

Illegal possession of firearms saw 122 suspects arrested – 41 were arrested in the Eastern Cape and 34 in KZN. Assault with Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) continues to register a large quantity of arrests, with 1 635 suspects apprehended.

Suspected drug dealers account for 185 arrests during this period, with 2001 suspects arrested for drug possession – 1 257 arrests occurred in the Western Cape (WC) alone.

Recoveries and Confiscations

The SAPS confiscated 151 firearms, with 30 of these firearms confiscated during operations in EC, KZN confiscated 29 and WC confiscated 22. Additionally, 3 765 rounds of ammunition were confiscated – 2 205 rounds were confiscated in KZN.

Officers further recovered 81 hijacked and stolen vehicles during the week’s operations.

Major Takedowns

An Emfuleni Local Municipality employee and a branch party leader were arrested for extortion related offences in the Vaal area.

Three wanted suspects were shot and killed in shootouts with officers in KZN. The suspects were wanted in connection with serious and violent crime charges, including murder.

Officers apprehended 85 illegal miners, with 52 arrested in the Free State through Operation Vala Umgodi, which specifically targets illegal mining.

Seven police officers were arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) for attempting to extort R100 000 from a Durban businessman.

Two off-duty police officers acted on information regarding a kidnapping in Soweto, rescuing the victim and apprehending a suspect.

“Police will continue with their operations in stamping the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all people living in South Africa,” said a statement issued by the SAPS.

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“Through detectives and crime intelligence tracing operations, roadblocks as well as stop and searches, police have taken a bold and decisive approach in protecting the communities that they serve,” said the South African Police Service (SAPS) in a statement on Monday.

The suspects were apprehended during operations conducted from Monday, 26 August until Sunday, 01 September. During the week-long operations, 4 233 suspects were apprehended for crimes such as murder, rape, possession of illegal firearms and business robberies.

A total 280 suspects were arrested for rape, with 116 of them arrested in KwaZulu Natal (KZN).

Police further arrested 160 suspects for the illegal possession of firearms. The highest number of those arrested, 1 463 suspects, were held for assault with grievous bodily harm (GBH).

Meanwhile, 442 suspects were arrested for the illegal dealing in liquor and 145 drug dealers were arrested during this period. Among others, 82 illegal miners were arrested with 52 of these arrests being made in the Free State.

Successes made also include the confiscation of 164 firearms as well as the recovery of 52 hijacked and stolen vehicles. A total of 22 suspects were arrested for hijacking incidents, with nine arrested in Gauteng. Gauteng police arrested a suspect after the discovery of a cloned police vehicle, believed to have been used in a spate of truck hijackings and courier vehicle robberies in the Gauteng province.

Four extortionists were fatally wounded during a confrontation with police in Milnerton, Western Cape, and four others are under police guard in hospital. Officers seized five firearms at the scene. A total of 164 firearms were seized during operations, with 41 handguns recovered in KZN. Police also recovered over 2 600 rounds of ammunition.

“Police will continue with their operations in stamping the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all people living in South Africa,” said the SAPS.

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During a media briefing to outline progress and take stock of milestones achieved during the first quarter of financial year 2024/2025, he said the case load figures quoted were from the end of the last financial year. Of those cases, nearly 12 000 accused people were serving before various courts while nearly 1 800 were receiving attention by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in order to decide on prosecution or otherwise.

Lebeya said that the DPCI has made “significant inroads in apprehending individuals… thus ensuring accountability and justice for the victims”.

The arrested suspects are alleged to have been involved in crimes including serious corruption; fraud; money laundering; police killings; cash-in-transit robberies; illegal mining; damage to essential infrastructure and crimes against the State.

With regard to first quarter 2024/25 statistics (April to June), a total number of 673 suspects, representing 637 natural persons and 36 juristic persons, were secured before various courts in the country.

“Of the 673 suspects, the Serious Organised Crime Investigation secured 370, the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation secured 234, while the Serious Corruption Investigation secured 69 suspects.

“Most of the arrests were effected in Gauteng province with 167; KwaZulu-Natal province with 114; North West province with 92; Mpumalanga province with 57 and Eastern Cape province with 56 suspects,” Lebeya said.

“During these arrests, 68 firearms and 1 797 rounds of ammunition were seized. Three clandestine drug laboratories were dismantled in Gauteng province with a total value of R16 million.”

The DPCI head added that not only were arrests made, convictions were secured against some 506 accused.

“Of these convictions, 262 accused persons, inclusive of 12 juristic persons, were sentenced, while the balance of 244 convicts, inclusive of 15 juristic persons, are to be sentenced on dates after the quarter under review. Of the 262 sentenced natural persons, 173 are South Africans while 77 are foreign nationals.

“To ensure that crime does not pay, 77 court orders were granted in relation to the assets associated with crime. These make the total recorded successes on arrests, convictions and attachment of assets to 1256,” he said.

Lebeya assured South Africans the Hawks are committed to fulfilling their mandate of “investigating, preventing and combating national priority offences”.

He added that “DPCI recapitulates its commitment to work diligently to address the evolving threat and bring those who engage in criminality to justice.” DPCI will “continue to enforce the law of the Republic without fear, favour or prejudice.”

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“The demanding schedule of the National and Provincial Elections on police officers did not dampen their commitment to the core function of combating crime, as over 500 suspects were nabbed in Operation Shanela in the Eastern Cape last week,” said the South African Police Service (SAPS).

This as South Africans went to the polls in the seventh National and Provincial Elections that got underway last Monday and Tuesday with special votes followed by Voting Day on Wednesday, 29 May.

In a statement on Monday, the police said that for the period between 27 May to 02 June 2024, police in the province arrested a total of 537 suspects for crimes ranging from house robbery to dealing in illicit drugs. 

Among those arrested were 18 motorists who were charged for drunk driving.

Police also fined 141 people for selling liquor without a licence and seized 11 592 litres of liquor.

The policing of marine life was also a prominent success as a joint operation between the SAPS and the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Environment managed to disrupt abalone syndicates and confiscated 2 913 units of abalone.

An assortment of illicit drugs with a street value estimated at over R 5 000 were also confiscated.

“A total of 21 suspects were nabbed for contravening the Firearms Control Act.  These successes emanate solely from Operation Shanela.”

Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene commended members for their efforts in ensuring the safety and security of communities.

“Even though members were deployed on election duties across the province, our men and women in blue ensured that day to day policing continued and criminals were not given the space to carry out their devious deeds,” said Mene.

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