A 37-year-old man is expected to appear in the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court for illegal possession of lion bones worth approximately R2.3 million on Monday, 1 March 2021.
Members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Germiston, Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) Dog unit, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development conducted a sting operation last Friday in Krugersdorp which resulted in the apprehension of the suspect.
The investigation team received intelligence last Thursday about a man who kept lion bones at his premises at Wentworth Park, near Krugersdorp without valid permits.
Members intercepted the premises and discovered a large amount of dried lion bones in the garage packaged in boxes and also from the clandestine laboratory inside bags ready for exportation to an unknown destination.
Further investigation revealed that the suspect’s permit to possess lion bones and exportation has expired in 2016 and 2020 respectively.
He was immediately arrested and charged for contravening the National Environmental Management-Biodiversity (NEMBA) Act.
