Jail them! Fry them! US charges South Africans in illegal rhino hunting case Montgomery - A South African company has been indicted in Alabama, in the US, for selling illegal rhino hunts to Americans and secretly trafficking in the endangered animals horns, prosecutors said on Thursday. The 18-count indictment charged Valinor Trading, which operated in the United States as Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris, and company owners Dawie Groenewald, 46, and his brother, Janneman Groenewald, 44, with conspiracy, Lacey Act violations, mail fraud, money laundering and structuring bank deposits to avoid reporting requirements. All species of rhino are protected under US and international laws, including the Lacey Act, which addresses illegal poaching and wildlife trafficking, according to a statement from the US department of justice. This case should send a warning shot to outfitters and hunters that the sale of illegal hunts in the US will be vigorously prosecuted regardless of where the hunt takes place, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division Sam Hirsch said in the statement. The whereabouts of the Groenewalds, and whether they have hired a lawyer, could not immediately be determined. National Geographic magazine reported that Dawie Groenewald was arrested in 2010 in South Africa, along with 10 others and that a multi-count case has been under way for four years. Both Groenewald brothers are South African nationals. Janneman Groenewald lived and operated out of Alabamas Autauga County, where he maintained company bank accounts. Nine American hunters paid up to $15 000 (R650 000) per animal for a total of 11 hunts sold at hunting conventions and gun shows in the United States between 2005 and 2010. None of the hunters was charged because prosecutors said the hunters were tricked by the Groenewalds into believing they were shooting legally at problem rhino. The Groenewalds obtained no hunting permits from the South African or local government, the indictment said. The hunts took place at a ranch in Mussina, Limpopo, which is co-owned by the Groenewalds and American investors, according to the indictment. After killing or capturing a rhino, the hunters posed for photos with the carcasses that appeared on company marketing brochures, the indictment said. Dawie Groenewald, who supervised the hunts, then cut off the horns with chainsaws and knives.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 12:10:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015