The police in the Namakwa District are unabatedly and relentlessly fighting the illegal poaching of protected plant species.
Information was received about two males stripping the plants from nature, especially in the Richtersveld area.
On 23 March 2022, a collective team comprising of Namakwa Crime Intelligence, Springbok K9 Unit, Springbok Highway patrol, Springbok Stock Theft Unit, and Endangered Species Unit, and the Richtersveld National Park pounced on two unsuspecting suspects aged 30 and 29 years old.
Community members informed the SAPS about illegal succulent poaching in the Steinkopf area and the identified premises were searched during a disruptive action.
Two male suspects were arrested and charged for contravening the Northern Cape Nature Conservation Act: Possession of Protected plants collected from Nature.
The two males were arrested after information was operationalized and plants were confiscated namely 312 Pelargonium Crassicaule plants and 639 Portulacaria Pygmaea plants worth thousands of rand.
The confiscation is deemed as one of the biggest in the Richtersveld area.
The collective team who formed part of the execution included Namakwa Crime Intelligence, Springbok K9 Unit, Springbok Highway Patrol, Springbok STESU, and members of the Richtersveld National Park.
The Acting District Commander of Namakwa, Col Skalk Andrews commended the team for their continuous efforts in preventing and clamping down on the illegal poaching of succulents in the Namakwa region. He also expressed his appreciation to the community for actively participating in protecting protected species.
A Toyota Hilux single Cab and cellphones were also confiscated as it was presumably used in the commission of a crime.
The two arrested male suspects will appear in court soon.
Namakwa Police continues to clamp down on succulent poaching in the area https://t.co/swpjBAtPxI #ArriveAlive #Poaching #Plants #Enforcement @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/UpJKSshVg8
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) March 24, 2022