ENVIRONMENTAL management inspectors say they are battling to prevent a large number of environmental crimes, many committed by well-organised syndicates serving markets in the Far East. The deputy director-general for legal research and development at the Department of Environmental Affairs, Ziyaad Hassan, said environmental offences "are seldom committed out of need". "It's a battle we don't seem to be winning and it is a huge concern for us," he said. Disposal of medical waste, illegal dumping, rhino and abalone poaching, and water pollution are top priorities for the inspectors.
Rhino poaching is "as big a problem as it's been in the last 20 years". Powdered rhino horn is more expensive than heroin. Rhinos have been taken out of parks and horns stolen from museums. Hassan said environmental offenders were usually middle-class, well-educated people who took a calculated business decision not to comply with environmental legislation.
Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said eight white rhino were poached in January from the Kruger National Park, despite hi-tech equipment and extra rangers being deployed. South African National Parks CEO David Mabunda said in January that 93 rhino had been killed over the past three years throughout SA, with 48 arrests having been made. "South Africans must realise that we are not dealing with your ordinary petty criminals here. These poachers are members of well-resourced syndicates and are also involved in chilling crimes like human trafficking, arms smuggling, prostitution and drug trafficking," he said.
Like rhino poachers, abalone syndicates are also linked to other crimes and are driven by markets in eastern Asia.
Source: All Africa
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