JanineBlue

#sapsHAWKS [FIVE SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN R500,000 PANGOLIN TRADE STING OPERATION IN WHITE RIVER] The #Hawks in Mpumalanga have arrested five suspects aged between 34 and 58 following a sting operation that foiled an alleged attempt to sell a live pangolin for R500,000 in White River. On Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at approximately 09:55, members of the Hawks’ Nelspruit Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI), acting on information received from a source, conducted a sting operation at a scrap metal business in Rockeys Drift, White River, where the suspects allegedly intended to sell the pangolin. The operation was conducted in collaboration with the White River K9 Unit, resulting in the arrest of five suspects. Two vehicles, a Volkswagen Polo and a Toyota Etios, were seized and handed over to the Nelspruit Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit (VCIU) for further investigation. The pangolin was also seized alive and handed over to the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA). The animal was subsequently taken to a veterinarian for treatment and care. The suspects are expected to appear before the White River Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, facing a charge of conveyance of a live wild animal. The Hawks acting Provincial Head in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Bruce Davenport said the Hawks remain committed to working with relevant law enforcement agencies and conservation authorities to combat wildlife-related crimes and dismantle criminal networks involved in the illegal trade of #ProtectedSpecies. #SAPS #FightingCrime #PartnershipPolicing ST