The US State Department is offering a $1 million (R10.2 million) reward for information leading to the dismantling of the Xaysavang Network, a wildlife trafficking syndicate based in Laos and Vietnam.
The syndicate has links in SA, Mozambique and East Asian countries to rhino and elephant poaching.
“The involvement of sophisticated transnational criminal organisations in wildlife trafficking perpetuates corruption, threatens the rule of law and border security in fragile regions, and destabilises communities that depend on wildlife for biodiversity and eco-tourism,” said US Secretary of State, John Kerry. He added that profits from wildlife trafficking were estimated at $8-10 billion (R82 billion-R102 billion) a year.
According to a statement released by South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs earlier this month, 825 rhinos have been poached in South Africa this year. Poaching in SA is rapidly increasing, with 333 rhinos poached in 2010, 448 in 20122 and 668 last year.
