HARARE – A Chinese national has been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle five rhino horns worth US$360,000 to China through Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare.
Lin Wang was taken into custody after authorities discovered the illicit wildlife contraband hidden inside a plastic owl sculpture.
The sculpture, intended for export, was intercepted by airport security after a scanner flagged inconsistencies.
The horns, wrapped in newspaper and concealed in plastic, were found when officials broke open the sculpture following a two-month holding period.
The clearing agent involved implicated Wang, who allegedly handed him the package before disappearing.
Wang appeared before Harare magistrate Isheunesu Matova who remanded him in custody, advising him to apply for bail at the High Court.
The case was rolled over to March 11.
All species of rhino are listed under CITES Appendix 1 which means it is illegal to trade them internationally. There are under 29,000 rhinos alive in the wild and in captivity.
China has made significant strides in wildlife protection in recent years but it also has formidable profit driven wildlife business interests.
Much of the trade supplies the traditional Chinese medicine sector. Highly valued rhino horn is believed to treat issues from cancer to clearing toxins and curing hangovers.
