{"id":154695,"date":"2017-06-20T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/154695\/rhino-horn-lion-bones-found-at-house-in-wychwood\/"},"modified":"2017-06-20T15:30:42","modified_gmt":"2017-06-20T13:30:42","slug":"rhino-horn-lion-bones-found-at-house-in-wychwood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2017\/06\/20\/rhino-horn-lion-bones-found-at-house-in-wychwood\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhino horn worth R500 000, alleged lion bones found at house in Wychwood"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rhino horn with a street value of about R500 000 and other items, amounting to a total of R2.5-million, were uncovered at a house in Robinia Street, Wychwood, last Monday.<\/p>\n

Bones, still to be identified but suspected to belong to lions, were also found of the premises.<\/p>

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An intelligence driven operation by officers from the Provincial Investigation Unit and the Benoni K9 Unit led to the raid on the house.<\/p>\n

Upon entering the premises the police found three Chinese citizens inside.<\/p>

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It is believed the suspects ground and polished the rhino horn for carving.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cFurther investigation led to the discovery of a lab where it is believed the suspects were grinding and polishing the rhino horn into small pieces for carving,\u201d said Capt Andr\u00e9 de Jager, spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni West cluster.<\/p>\n

The officers also found different tools which were used in the process, a Kia bakkie which was positively identified as being stolen in Benoni and 47 rounds of live 7.65mm ammunition.<\/p>\n

The suspects, a woman aged 48 and two men aged 30 and 40, respectively, were arrested and detained at the Primrose Police Station.<\/p>\n

During the raid two other vehicles were also seized as police suspect these were used in the commission of a crime.<\/p>\n

The suspects will be charged with possession of rhino horn, possession of unlicensed ammunition, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, possession of drugs and possession of wildlife products without permits.<\/p>\n