This article was written by Save the Rhino
Six people were arrested on suspicion of international trafficking of more than 960 rhino horns.
John Hume, previously the breeder and owner of the world’s largest captive rhino operation, and his lawyer, Isak du Toit, are two of the six.
Cathy Dean, MBE, Grants Lead at Save the Rhino said, “these arrests mark a critical juncture in tackling the organized crime networks driving illegal rhino horn trade and highlight the challenges in regulating horn trade. Every horn trafficked represents not only a threat to rhinos and the ecosystems they call home, but also fuels wider organized crime, exploiting people and communities throughout the chain of criminal activity.”
The arrests come eight years after Hume took the South African government to the Constitutional Court to allow domestic trade in rhino horn and build upon a seven-year investigation by the South African Police Service’s Department for Priority Crime Investigation’s (also known as the Hawks) Wildlife Trafficking Section.
Authorities have alleged that the syndicate used a web of fraudulent permit schemes, exploiting South Africa’s domestic trading regulations under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) to mask horn exports destined for Southeast Asia, despite international bans under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora).
Dr Jo Shaw, CEO at Save the Rhino, said “we commend the commitment shown by South Africa’s enforcement agencies and their partners to this case. These arrests send a clear signal that rhino horn trafficking and associated serious organized crimes will be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Disrupting transnational organized crime is essential to stopping poaching, allowing populations to recover and ensuring rhinos have a future in the wild.”
The six suspects, are John Hume, Clive Melville, Izak du Toit, Catherina van Niekerk, Matheus Poggenpoel and Johannes Hennop.
Prosecutors are also reviewing additional serious charges including racketeering and money laundering.
One suspect, Clive Melville, who is the half-brother of John Hume’s cousin, was previously arrested in 2019 in one of the largest rhino horn seizures in South Africa’s history, when he was charged with illegally transporting 167 rhino horns on Hume’s behalf.
All six suspects are reported to have voluntarily surrendered to the Hawks and appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 19th August 2025.
Dr Dion George, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, said “the Hawks’ work shows that our enforcement agencies will not hesitate to pursue those who plunder our wildlife for criminal profit. This arrest proves that syndicates cannot escape justice, no matter how complex their schemes.”
Cases like this put a spotlight on the serious, organised networks making a profit from wildlife crime. Rhino populations across Africa continue to be under huge threat from poaching, with 516 rhinos poached on the continent in 2024.
Picture: Save the Rhino