Five men linked to rhino poaching were arrested in the Northern Cape at the weekend.
“Members conducted waylay duties‚ worked around the clock‚ over the weekend to secure the farm which the poachers had intended to execute criminal activities on‚” the police said in a statement.
“Further intelligence led the police to raid the suspects’ house in Bankhara near Kuruman. Upon searching the house and further investigation‚ five suspects were arrested‚ an assault rifle was found hidden inside the house and was confiscated after the suspects failed to produce a licence to possess the firearm.”
The suspects are facing a charge of illegal possession of a firearm‚ and could be linked to a case of illegal hunting‚ where rhino were dehorned near Severn in August this year.
“Our preliminary investigation indicated that‚ some of the suspects are wanted in the Eastern Cape for cases related to poaching and illegal hunting‚” the police said.