Police have arrested three suspected rhino poachers in what they called an intelligence-driven operation in Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal.

“Last night at about 20:00‚ SAPS members charged with combating the poaching of rhinos in the country dealt another telling blow to the criminal element.

“The team was acting on information received when they spotted a white Toyota double cab in the Mgwanwini area. The police stopped and searched it and they found a high calibre hunting rifle‚ a silencer‚ ammunition and an axe. The 44-year-old driver and his two passengers‚ 24 and 28 years of age‚ were arrested‚” said Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale.

Rhino anti-poaching hero and Prince Harry ‘chum’ gored by black rhinoFormer Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife rhino protector Lawrence Munro is recovering in a Johannesburg hospital after he was gored by a black rhino while attempting to shield a group of tourists from the charging animal during a walking safari in Malawi. 

The three suspects will appear in the Hluhluwe Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition‚” Mogale said.

“The South African Police Service has prioritised the killing and poaching of rhinos and the team is commended on the arrest of these suspects‚” Mogale added.