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Rhino Horn Trafficker Receives 18-year Prison Sentence For Money Laundering
Rhino horn trafficker receives 18-year prison sentence for money laundering
By Annelie Coleman | 27 January 2025 | 10:30 am
High-ranking rhino horn trafficker, Francis Kipampa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, recently received an 18-year prison sentence for money laundering offences related to rhino poaching.
Dion George, minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, said that ‘poachers’ reign of terror’ in South Africa is coming to an end. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The sentence was imposed by the Middelburg Regional Court, and followed a groundbreaking multi-year investigation into rhino poaching and horn trafficking in South Africa.
Cathy Dean (MBE), grants lead at Save the Rhino International, said it was the first time that an individual had been successfully prosecuted for his role in the illegal wildlife trade linked to serious financial offenses.
The investigation, led by the South African Police Service’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), working with KPMG South Africa and supported by a Save the Rhino International team, highlighted the power of financial forensics in dismantling wildlife crime networks.
Major General Nico Bester, Mpumalanga head of the DPCI, said in a statement that the “annihilation” of South Africa’s rhino population by individuals for self-enrichment would not be tolerated.
“We will go after the proceeds generated through illegal activities with all the means at our disposal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Dion George, minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, applauded the prison sentence handed down to Kipampa.
“I can assure South Africans that poachers’ reign of terror on South African wildlife is coming to an end. The sentence imposed on the […] poacher is indicative of our renewed zero-tolerance stance on all forms of poaching, and we believe that the justice system will also find the rest of the suspected syndicate members guilty,” George said in a statement.
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