Three men and one woman have been arrested for attempting to sell a pangolin at The Crossing shopping centre in Mahikeng on 22 April.
The Hawks Organised Crime Investigation Unit apprehended the suspects after receiving a tip-off about alleged smugglers who were searching for a buyer.
The Hawks moved in on the four suspects in Mahikeng while they were attempting to sell the endangered animal for R250 000.
‘The suspects were arrested at The Crossing Mall in Mahikeng, where the pangolin was found in the suspects’ vehicle. The vehicle was seized for further investigation,’ said Hawks spokesperson Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso.
Pangolins are the most smuggled animal in the world, with up to 200 000 trafficked every year. They are one of the few mammalian orders where every member of the species is threatened with extinction, with all eight pangolin species listed on the IUCN red list of threatened species.
The four suspects will appear in the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court and face charges of wildlife trafficking under the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004.
Picture: Hawks
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